Guest Post: Premier League Match Review: Manchester City v Arsenal

Last weekend Manchester City and Arsenal met at the Etihad stadium for their first encounter of the 2012/2013 premier league season. David Silva’s corner kick assist ensured Joleon Lescott’s header gave Manchester City the lead in the 40th minute of the match. The Citizens looked to be ending the game with a win. However, their dreams were short-lived when, in the 82nd minute, Laurent Koscielny leveled the scores for the North London side from winger, Theo Walcott’s corner kick. Despite all these, the Arsenal tickets and Manchester City tickets showed that the investment made was worth it. Manchester City’s midfields clog It seems that Arsenal's manager, Mr. Wenger, was aware of his opponent’s midfield ability. This was evident when he loaded his midfield with players that clearly overwhelmed City’s main man: Yaya Toure. Toure’s presence in the game was not felt, as it is usually done in other matches. This allowed Arsenal to make quick recoveries of the ball and preventing Yaya from exerting pressure on Arsenal's defense. The silenced midfield allowed Arsenal to hover more around the midfield. Arsenal’s resilience and possessive game Arsenal’s ability to control the midfield gave them the power to posses the game more than their opponents in the first half of the match. Four out of the eleven players made it into the midfield position. Santi Cazorla, Abou Diaby, Aaron Ramsey, and Mikel Arteta’s strategic combination allowed the Gunners to make an unprecedented hold of the midfield. As a result, the effects of the potential scorer Silva was going to be a force that Arsenal could not bear to handle, considering his pace and quick decision-making. Santi Cazorla proved a worthwhile signing for the Gunners for it was his shot that earned them a corner that was later converted into the equalizing goal by defender Laurent Koscielny. Aaron Ramsey’s outstanding performance The Welsh captain outstanding performance this season saw it move a notch higher after displaying a superb performance for his team. His role saw him take the lead in making most of Arsenal's attacks. Not only did he make complete attacks, but also played his defensive midfield role at the expense of their opponents. Despite most people’s view on the best replacement for Cesc Fabregas, Ramsey is yet to show that he has not yet reached his desired potential. A little patience will see him being the other best replacement, apart from Santi Cazorla, for Barcelona’s Fabregas. Manchester City’s title at stake The labeled ‘noisy neighbors’ have began their league campaign on a rather low note. However, most people are accruing their performance because of accumulated fatigue from their earlier match against Real Madrid. This can seem to explain everything. Nevertheless, we need not forget that Arsenal also featured in a Champions League match the same week. Last season, we saw them survive another year without lifting the premier league title after Kun Aguero found the back of the net in the dying minutes of the game. Otherwise, they would have added another year to their count of years they have gone without the league title. Of all the premier league teams, the Citizens have the most expensive lineup. They boast of top-notch defenders such as Vincent company and Gael Clichy. Their midfield is held by world renown players; the likes of Yaya Toure. Their strike force, if not the best in the world, has some of the best players known to the football industry. Should they fail to defend their title, then they will have to work harder for it next season.