Arsenal’s victory over Manchester City suggests Arsene Wenger’s side have finally found an effective way to deliver successful results against top opposition.
Manchester City would’ve been mightily surprised by Arsenal’s approach at the Etihad on Sunday, as were many observers watching on, but the Gunners’ unfamiliar counter-attacking style paid huge dividends when defeating the reigning Premier League champions.
It seems the penny has finally dropped with the north Londoners’ long-serving manager that he no longer possesses the squad capable of overrunning opponents with all-out attacking intent.
That was eminently possible during the vintage 2003-04 season when the ‘Invincibles’ went an entire Premier League campaign without loss, but not any longer.
Another plan had to be sought to allow Arsenal to resume winning ways against a City outfit they’d failed to beat away from home since October 2011.
Wenger came to a long overdue realisation that his current crop of players required an urgent readjustment to alter their troublesome lack of resilience.
They’d been found wanting far too often, with the fragility of their back-line and defensive midfield area exposed with great ease by a succession top-four challengers.
The Gunners managed only 35 per cent possession during the contest in Manchester, which represents the smallest amount of time in control of the ball they’ve achieved since Opta records began in 2003.
Undoubtedly, playmaker Santi Cazorla’s wonderful end-to-end performance was instrumental in the eventual outcome, but it was the overall discipline showcased by the entire team which led to a 2-0 victory which brought Manchester City 12-match unbeaten run to a shuddering halt.
Central defenders Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny were protected brilliantly by 23-year-old Frenchman Francis Coquelin, who produced his best showing yet in an Arsenal shirt. The pair rarely appeared to be under any significant pressure and almost always found time on the ball to clear their lines successfully when called upon.
Coquelin was ably assisted by the dynamic Cazorla, with the Spanish star popping up everywhere when battling for the ball in his own half and carrying it into enemy territory beyond several attempted tackles that simply couldn’t stop his progress.
Full-backs Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin also stuck to their duties diligently without succumbing to the damaging marauding runs forward that Arsenal’s flank defenders are often guilty of employing.
Arsenal’s display drew widespread praise from media pundits across the board, as well as from a beaming Wenger afterwards, in what amounts to a rather ironic twist considering his regular admonishment of rival Premier League teams who’ve set out their stall with similar strategies against the Gunners in the past.
However, it doesn’t seem to be as bitter a pill to swallow for the experienced tactician as most people would have believed after witnessing his contented smile for the cameras after securing a precious three points at the home of the champions.
They’ve apparently accepted that a sea-change in approach was needed heading into those kinds of high-profile fixtures and the key now is to put that level of performance into practice on a consistent basis in order to make certain the win over City wasn’t simply a flash in the pan.
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