Match Preview: Arsenal v Manchester City; Premier League Matchday 32

I purposely waited for Sunderland v Spurs to be over to understand what we had to do this weekend. After watching that truly uninspiring display of passing and er, shooting, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see both Arsenal and City face off against each other. With both of these teams having everything to play for, it sets up to be (hopefully) a cracking affair.

In the Etihad leg of the airline sponsor derby, I really thought Arsenal played one of their best games with the makeshift back four they had. If you remember December 18th marked one of the first weeks we did not have a proper fullback on either side. The worry that it presented was unfounded as both Djourou and Vermaelen did enough to stifle City for most of the match but would eventually go top of the league with their 1-0 win.

However, since they’ve ascended to the top of the league, City have shown the lack of experience and mental toughness it takes to lock down the title. Since November City have only managed to capture 3 points away from home on two occasions. Additionally, Roberto Mancini’s lads while prolific in scoring, their struggles to do so on the road are epic. Of the their last 36 goals scored, only 5 have been scored away from the Etihad.

Alot of City’s current form are probably tied to two things. First, they are tired. They shot out of the blocks like a bat of hell, only to find out that the league doesn’t end in January. As us Arsenal fans know all to well, the league title is a marathon and requires a steady., consistent approach to the season. Where you are in January, February or March isn’t as great as where you wind up in May. Another component of ‘tiring out’ is that their entire team is new to the rigours of a full on premier league title chase and it looks like it is having its toll and starting to catch up to them, especially their lynch pin, David Silva.

When City took off David Silva was the star of the Premier League. In a season that saw the best midfielder in the league Cesc Fabregas leave, Silva looked poised to take that mantle. However, since scoring the loan goal against Arsenal in December he has been a shell of his former self. Since the last time these two teams met, David Silva has failed to score or provide an assist. He’s still capable of producing chances but overall City’s little Spanish engine just isn’t in form. He is less successful going forward having reduced his forward pass production by 19%. He now plays more reminiscent of Denilson by passing backwards and sideways.  And finally he is shooting less and creating more errors. In my opinion this more than anything else has been the reason why City have failed to do any serious damage in the league title race.

Well, there is their manager who is showing himself to be a nutcase. If you thought Wenger was annoying or half-cocked, watch Mancini recently, If his team is crumbling under the pressure of the title race, Mancini is a pile of rubble already. But wouldn’t you be if you had to deal with Mario Balotelli every day?

Still, City have a very strong side and in my opinion are very capable of turning it on at a moment’s notice. For Arsenal they will have to be wary of that and the defencive errors of last week will have to be eradicated if Arsenal want to carry on with their home form. In 15 games played so far at home, with 45 points available, Arsenal have only dropped 10. That is two losses and two draws for you uninformed.

The hope is that the loss to QPR was A.) just a blip and B.) just the slap in the face the team needed to remember not to take ANY opponent lightly. Admittedly I had a concern that had we won at QPR we would’ve gone into this match with a little less focus than was required. And if there is one good thing about this team (there are others) it has been their ability to bounce back, something not part of Arsenal’s DNA prior to this season.

The Gunners need to have a game reminiscent of Milan, where form the get-go, they were on top of Milan, pressing their advantage of speed and ability. City do have a weakness, their biggest of which is how they handle width and speed. City are a very narrow team and teams that have had success against them use their speed in attack and on the counter. You just need look at how Sunderland handled them at the Etihad last week to know that the simple rule against City is – KEEP IT WIDE.

Even though we were on the losing end at the Etihad the reason we played so well was just that, Gervinho and Walcott were doing a yeoman’s effort down the side. This is where we will need to play this game. And with proper full backs in this match, I expect us to take a bigger advantage of this than we did in December.

I know some of my readers don’t believe we have what it takes to beat a team like City, I am not one of them. Much like we did against Milan (there’s that match again), I have the same level of belief that we can this from City. It all comes down the effort, the focus, and the commitment of the team. They’ve shown time and again this season that they have it. They will need all of that and a near perfect effort to take maximum points. Doing that will pull us back to 2 points over Spurs and back in the driver’s seat for instant qualification in the Champion’s League.

Wenger also needs to remember what’s at stake here. His selection of Ramsey to play on the left last week balled pretty much – everyone. It was hopefully a set up he intended only to play away from home. Failure to start either Gervinho or Oxlade-Chamberlain on the wings is only going to cause us to be weaker than we need to be until the subs come in. Ramsey has shown himself to be good coming of the bench for us this season and I would use him as such in the match to maybe spell Rosicky in 65th or 70th minute.  Wenger needs to get his side right for this. Even one player played wrong, could cost Arsenal more than just points.

How the Match Should Play Out:
Alot depends on how Mancini sets up his squad. In his last two visits to the Emirates he has deployed two DMs to try and hit the pacy Arsenal in the counter. The first time last season, resulted in the most negative affair I’ve seen anyone every play at the Emirates. The second, this past season’s Carling Cup had the desired affect, though against the Arsenal reserves. Mancini has to know that he has to play this game open. Failure for them to walk out of the Emirates with 3 points would all but package up the league title to United.

If he does play an open game it will certainly be a match that Arsenal will enjoy their customary style of play. Which means chances are going to be aplenty. The problem then becomes who capitalizes more on their chances. City haven’t don’t that much lately, but then again neither have Arsenal. Still, Arsenal know of only one way to play, it will be possession game, with Arsenal likely to employ their pressing game which when they’ve done it right, they’ve done it with deadly effect.  In the end the result will come down to the team that makes the fewest mistakes and converts its chances (you just can’t pay for that kind of insight can you? Why would you? Ha.) Anyway, because of all that is at stake, I expect this match to be a match like we haven’t had at the Emirates since Barcelona last came to town.

Players to Watch:
Arsenal. Thomas Vermaelen. With a nightmare of a match last week, the Arsenal defender needs to come back and have a solid outting with much better talent and threats than QPR posed.

Manchester City. Samir Nasri. When Arsenal visited the Etihad in December, Nasri won MOTM from the City sponsors as a mod to whom they were playing. He was shall we say it – not worthy of the plaudits. Since a lightening start for City he has gone back to the luke warm form that Arsenal fans know all to well. With David Silva’s form off, he will need to be better than he has been if City want to keep up with United in the title fight.

Projected Starting XIs:

Injuries and Suspensions:
Arsenal: Wilshere (ankle)  Frimpong (knee) Mertesacker (ankle)

Manchester City: None reported (late fitness tests for Lescott and Aguero)

Leading Scorers:
Arsenal:  Van Persie 26

Manchester City: Aguero 17

Last Meeting (Premier League):
Arsenal: 0

Manchester City: 1

Goals For:
Arsenal (home): 2.3

Manchester City (away): 1.9

Goals Against:
Arsenal (home): 0.8

Manchester City: (away): 1.0

Last Five:
Arsenal: LWWWW

Manchester City: DDWLW

Goal Difference:
Arsenal: 21

Manchester City: 50

Match Official:
Referee: Martin Atkinson (Matches 24, R8 Y80)

Broadcast Information:
US: Fox Soccer Channel 1100AM EST

UK: Sky Sports 1 1600 BST

GAMEDAY CHAT: It’s Open!!!!!!

www.youaremyarsenal.com/gamedaychat

YAMA Prediction:
Arsenal: 2

Manchester City: 1

Final Thoughts – 

I don’t have much to add this week as it was a relatively quiet news week for Arsenal. The world was focused on Mancini and his constant grumbles about, Fergie, referees, and Mario Balotelli. And with it Easter/Passover, I am just going to end with this lovely little video. As you all are aware Citroen is one of Arsenal’s sponsors. And it seems that as part of their deal Arsenal are participating in a lot of Citroen TV commcercials – this one features Alex Song, Wojiech Szczesny, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Bacary Sagna, four ballet dancers and a very curious, yet familiar looking pianist.

Enjoy and come on you Gunners!!!

Stay Goonerish!!!!

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