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Arsenal ended their run of defeats at the Etihad with an excellent defensive performance in a largely dull game

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Sun 31 Mar 2024 14.00 EDTFirst published on Sun 31 Mar 2024 10.30 EDT
Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola talk to their players after the match.
Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola talk to their players after the match. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola talk to their players after the match. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

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City reaction: 'They're a much better team than last year'

Bernardo Silva

It was tough. We played against a top, top team: very well organised, very competitive, high rhythm. It could have gone either way to be honest. We started better, we had more possession and control but they were very good as well. They were always dangerous on set-pieces and counters.

It’s tough to play against – when they pressed high they went man to man, and when they were low their wingers played as full-backs in a line of six. It’s never easy to play against teams who defend this well.

At te start of the game I felt they tried to be aggressive and press. When we could get three or four passes together, that’s when their wingers would go back in a line of six. Then they would be patient and not jump in. Two completely different games – they were very well organised and it wasn’t easy to create chances.

Last April they were doing man to man all over the pitch for the whole game. When you do that it’s a bit of a 50/50. Today it wasn’t quite the same. They’re a different team because they’re a young side who now have an extra year of experience. Today they were much better.

We’re not favourites [to win the league] any more. A lot can happen in seven games – is it seven or eight? I think seven. [It’s nine] Oh, nine! That’s better for us. We’re back in it! We need Liverpool or Arsenal to drop points and we need to do our job and win our games.

Arsenal reaction: 'We didn't plan to defend that deep'

Martin Odegaard

We wanted all three points and tried our best. We didn’t do enough for that but we’ll take the point and move on.

Any team in the world would miss this guy [Saliba, who didn’t play in the 4-1 defeat a year ago]. He’s such a complete player and we’re so lucky to have him. I’m glad he’s fit now. It was a brilliant performance.

We had to defend a lot, a bit deeper than we planned. It’s hard when you’ve defended for a while – you get the ball and your legs are heavy – but there were moments when we were dangerous. I felt like we could have won it in the end.

William Saliba

We cannot be satisfied when we draw. It’s okay – we did well and we leave with one point – but we are not satisfied.

City are the best team in the world and playing against them is more tiring mentally. We had to focus for the whole game. We all defended well.

City played 690 passes and had no attempts on target in open play, which is probably the best statistical summary of the game. That and, you know, 0-0.

The remaining fixtures in the title race

Liverpool Sheff Utd (H), Man Utd (A), Crystal Palace (H), Fulham (A), Everton (A), West Ham (A), Spurs (H), Aston Villa (A), Wolves (H)

Arsenal Luton (H), Brighton (A), Aston Villa (H), Wolves (A), Chelsea (H), Spurs (A), Bournemouth (H), Man Utd (A), Everton (H)

Man City Aston Villa (H), Crystal Palace (A), Luton Town (H), Brighton (A), Nottm Forest (A), Wolves (H), Fulham (A), West Ham (H)

The only player to score for City against Arsenal this season is Cole Palmer. That was in the Community Shield, though City may get two more chances in the Champions League semi-final.

Philosophy be damned. That was a triumph of pragmatism for Arsenal, who achieved their main priority – a clean sheet – with few alarms and no apologies for their defensive approach. Gabriel bullied Erling Haaland, William Saliba played in his slippers and Declan Rice and Jorginho put out a number of fires around the edge of the area.

Pep Guardiola instructs Jack Grealish after the match. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

Pep Guardiola is on the field giving Jack Grealish an animated tutorial. None of the City attackers played well, though Rodri was majestic and Rico Lewis played with maturity and personality after coming on as a first-half substitute for Nathan Ake.

Gabriel and Erling Haaland have more words after the final whistle, but eventually they embrace. All the players seem happy enough; they’ve kicked the title race down the road.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Liverpool 29 40 67
2 Arsenal 29 46 65
3 Man City 29 35 64
4 Aston Villa 30 20 59
5 Tottenham Hotspur 29 18 56
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90+4 min City are trying to summon one last push. They haven’t really managed one first push, though that’s as much down to Arsenal’s defensive excellence as their own performance. The concentration levels required to keep City this quiet for 90 minutes are extraordinary. I’d imagine.

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90+2 min Gary Neville’s player of the match is William Saliba. Hard to arue with that. I might have gone for Rodri, who is a machine, but Saliba has been exemplary. There are few, if any, better centre-backs in the world right now.

90+1 min Haaland goes over in the area after a cross from Grealish. There wasn’t much in it. Gabriel accuses Haaland of diving and gets right in his face. He’s really bullied Haaland at times today.

89 min Haaland is still being treated. He’s conscious but he clearly took a fair whack. Julian Alvarez is getting ready just in case.

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88 min We’ve just seeen a replay of that Trossard shot. He looked fractionally offside when Odegaard played the pass so it might not have counted had he scored.

88 min De Bruyne’s corner leads to a clash of heads between Haaland and Saliba. Haaland came off worse, as he has all day.

88 min “The caginess of this match is allowing my mind to wander to headier questions,” says Peter Oh. “For example, do Kevin De Bruyne and Jack Grealish share the same hairdresser?”

Yes, it’s called the mid-nineties.

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86 min: Ortega saves from Trossard! Odegaard (I think) slides a fine pass down the inside-left channel to Trossard, who shuffles outside Akanji and hits a rising drive that is beaten away by Ortega. The angle made it a fairly comfortable save in the end.

Trossard did have support, though we haven’t seen a replay so I don’t know how good the other options were.

84 min: Chance for Haaland! De Bruyne’s outswinging corner from the right is headed across the face by Gvardiol towards Haaland, who completely misses his kick four yards from goal!

That was bizarre. It wasn’t a complete sitter, because the angle was fairly tight and Raya was on top of him, but it was still a great chance. He completely missed the ball.

Haaland rues a missed chance. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
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82 min Grealish, who looks bright, twists Martinelli inside out and chips a cross beyond the far post. Doku sees it very late and shins a volley well wide.

81 min “One of the mysteries for me is how Saka is on so much money,” says Andrew Hurley. “He never dominates when the team isn’t on top, and when you take away his penalties, his end product isn’t worth the amount he reportedly receives - add losing the ball 3/4 times in the last ten minutes in and around his own box, and it is pretty perplexing.”

Does that apply across the board or is he just having a relatively quiet season?

80 min After good play from Odegaard, Martinelli has a shot from 18 yards that is blocked by Rodri. He’s been the best player on the field I’d say.

80 min “Did the clocks go forward overnight,” says Ian Sargeant, “or is that just Jurgen Klopp’s beaming smile counteracting sunset?”

77 min De Bruyne rampages away from Partey in the inside-left channel, runs 40 yards and hammers a square pass to Doku on the edge of the area. He cuts inside Tomiyasu but slices miles wide with his left foot.

76 min De Bruyne’s big, inswinging corner isn’t held by Raya, who is relieved to see the ball bounce safely in the six-yard box.

75 min Doku’s overhit cross is controlled by Saka, who dithers for a split-second and is robbed by a suddenly ravenous De Bruyne. His low cross is booted away in the six-yard box – it would have been a tap-in had Haaland got across the defender - but City come again and win another corner.

75 min There have been two attempts on target in the whole game, and one of those came off the shoulder of a man who went off injured 50 minutes ago.

72 min: Arsenal substitution Leandro Trossard replaces Gabriel Jesus on the left wing. It’s like for like but also a – that bloody word again - statement of matchwinning intent, because Jesus, like Wayne Rooney back in the day, is much more comfortable playing as a second full-back.

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71 min One interesting thing about Arsenal’s defensive performance, which in a lot of ways has been admirable, is that even if they go on to win this game, it won’t be a statement victory like Old Trafford 1998 and Anfield 2001. You need to dominate for that. I’m sure the distinction will keep them awake all night if they score a 90th-minute winner.

70 min Rodri wins the ball just outside the Arsenal area for the third or fourth time today. Bernardo Silva can’t take advantage but the pressure is slowly building on Arsenal.

Rodri getting stuck in. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
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68 min “Interesting mention of George Graham, who built a relentless team but was bought down by financial irregularities,” says Paul Griffin. “Let’s just be glad that’s something you’d never see in the modern game Rob.”

67 min The first yellow card of the game is finally given to Gabriel Jesus for retrieving the ball even though a new one was about to be used? for a City free-kick, then leaving the old ball on the pitch and running away. He laughs at the injustice of it all.

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66 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Takehiro Tomiyasu and Thomas Partey replace Jakub Kiwior, who had a long night in Cardiff on Tuesday, and Jorginho.

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65 min … which is headed away at the near post. I lost the run of myself a bit when I said it was becoming a proper game; it has reverted to stalemate.

63 min Rico Lewis carries the ball through midfield, as he’s done a few times since coming on, and finds Grealish on the left. Eventually Haaland’s shot on the turn is smothered at source. City are starting to apply a bit of pressure.

61 min: Double substitution for City Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish replace Phil Foden and Mateo Kovacic. That means Bernardo Silva will move into midfield, with Doku on the right and Grealish on the left.

Pep Guardiola talks to Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish before their introduction. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
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61 min De Bruyne’s free-kick is headed away by Havertz. It goes back to De Bruyne, who overhits a cross that goes behind for a goalkick. By his standards he’s had a poor game.

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60 min Rodri, who has been excellent, whistles a left-foot shot from 20 yards that is really well blocked. Then Odegaard is penalised for a challenge on Foden 25 yards from goal. You’ll be surprised to hear he doesn’t concur with Anthony Taylor’s judgement.

59 min This is the top of the table as things stand. Liverpool probably have the least difficult run-in so this would be a great result for them.

Pos Team P GD Pts
1 Liverpool 29 40 67
2 Arsenal 29 46 65
3 Man City 29 35 64
4 Aston Villa 30 20 59
5 Tottenham Hotspur 29 18 56
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57 min Foden’s corner brushes the head of White and is retreived by Haaland on the far side. City come again, but their attacking play is still ponderous by their standards. Eventually Rodri clips a pass out to De Bruyne, who is offside. He looks in a foul mood.

56 min “Did the rule regarding getting a yellow for asking the ref to give a card change?” asks Eagle Brosi.

I’m not certain but I think it only applies if you wave an imaginary card, which is nonsense really.

55 min Gabriel seems to be accusing Haaland of a headbutt, although there’s no suggestion there was one. Gabriel has done a great job on Haaland so far – in fact he has bullied him at times.

54 min It’s starting to get niggly. You’d think that would suit City as the home side, but at the moment they seem a bit flat. Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne, who demolished Arsenal last season, have been anonymous.

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52 min Jorginho is penalised for a challenge on Lewis, a decision with which both teams disagree. Arsenal didn’t think it was a foul; City wanted a yellow card.

52 min: Chance for Arsenal! Yeah, this is becoming a proper game. Odegaard slides a nice pass into the area for Saka, whose inviting low cross is just missed by Jesus, stretching in front of an open goal.

Arsenal's Gabriel Jesus can’t reach the ball. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
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51 min Arsenal are showing a bit of intent too, and Odegaard only just overhits an imaginative through ball to Havertz. This won’t end 0-0. You have ma word.

49 min “Interesting reference back to happy George, who I remember particularly well as a Leeds supporter when he led us to glory during his brief tenure,” says Jeremy Boyce. “However hated he was in Leeds, the point he made to Perry Groves was totally in line with the Revie philosophy, ‘If they can’t score, you can’t lose’. But my instinct says that De Bruyne will Lorimer one in at some point, however frustrated he is by Arsenal’s dogged defence. Think Ali and the ‘Phantom Punch’.”

It’s strange that, on Graham’s finest night, a clean sheet wasn’t enough to avoid defeat.

47 min Some good early possession for City. Lewis beats Jorginho with a stylish dragback on the edge of a crowded area, and moments later Kovacic shapes a very nice curler from 25 yards that goes just wide of the far post. Raya had it covered though.

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