Twelve straight league losses is a very ugly record. That streak was emphatically broken today as the Gunners just barely earned three points against the champions via a deflected strike from returning star Martinelli, subbed on at the half because he's back from injury. City should have been down to ten men by then, but Kovacic escaped a straight red and then escaped a second yellow for late studs-up lunges into the ankles of Odegaard and Rice. Earlier, Arsenal was very lucky not to have been scored on as they were very shaky for twenty minutes or so. It was a team effort and everyone played their part. Martinelli got the man-of-the-match award from Sky Sports, but for me, Rice was more important and Saliba was imperious as he completely shut down Haaland. Arteta was beaming in the post-match interview, and who could blame him?
The less said about our limp performance in France the better. A 2-1 loss to Lens isn't fatal, but our two games with Sevilla now loom large. Anything less than two points from those games will leave us in perilous position.
So now Arsenal finds itself tied with the Tots for 1st place. That has to be a comfortable feeling.
ReplyDeleteIt is going to be a real race for the title, if what we've seen so far is indicative. As usual, it will probably come down to who's hurt least by injuries.
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