There was quite a bit at stake for both teams in this match as both needed the points to close the gap between themselves and Leicester City, who occupy top spot for Christmas. If Arsenal won the match it would give them some breathing space in second spot above their opponents, whereas if Manchester City won the game, it would allow them to leapfrog Arsenal into second place. Sergio Aguero was back for the away side and thrown straight back into the mix, and his team needed him as they hadn't exactly been the luckiest in front of goal when not at the Etihad and it's been three months since their last away goal. It could prove to be a big match for Petr Cech who needed only one more clean sheet to break David James' record.
It was the away side who created a lot of the early chances in the match as well; obviously keen to make a quick start to avoid a repeat of previous results against the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. They had two very similar chances within the opening 10 minutes, one falling to David Silva and the other to Fernandinho in a similar position. Both players had the same idea and hit the ball with some power but the ball sailed high over the crossbar and didn't prove much of a threat to Cech.
After a couple of half chances for both sides, Kevin De Bruyne carved out a his first of two chances when he shifted the ball to his stronger foot to fire the shot towards the bottom corner of the goal, but Cech did well to get down to save the shot. Minutes later in the game, De Bruyne was left in a lot of space down the right wing and he used this to almost expose the Arsenal defenders. He did have the option of Silva in the middle of the box, but he decided to take on the shot himself and the ball ended up fizzing just wide of the far post.
He would feel like he should have done a lot better with his chance, especially after Arsenal did exploit the weaknesses in City's defence seconds later with their first chance of the game. Laurent Koscielny moved his team forward with a great lofted ball to Mesut Ozil who simply touched it onto Theo Walcott at the edge of the City box. He brought it back inside and created some space between him and his defender before firing his shot around Joe Hart and into the bottom of the net.
The goal knocked City back a bit, but they suffered an even bigger setback in the game with the last kick of the first half. Eliaquim Mangala tried to play out from the back but his pass into the midfield was very slack allowing Arsenal to move forward with the ball. It was Ozil again who played in Olivier Giroud this time, and he timed his run perfectly to stay onside before slotting the ball under Hart and into the far bottom corner of the City net to add to his brilliant run of scoring.
City had to endure a hard second half as well as Arsenal threw everything they had at their opponent's to try and finish the game off, and they had the perfect chance very early on. Nacho Monreal got the ball on the left side and crossed the ball low into the centre of the six yard box. Nicolas Otamendi looked like he would clear the ball easily, but badly misjudged his clearance and Joel Campbell, running onto the ball, sliced the ball high over the crossbar instead of converting the chance.
It didn't end there though, with Arsenal having even more turns on Hart's goal to try and steal a third goal. Campbell had another good chance minutes later when he was left in acres of space on the right side and with no flag pulling him back, he raced into the box and toe-poked the ball on target, but Hart did well to turn the shot away with his foot.
Aaron Ramsey followed this up with two chances that should have put Arsenal out of sight as well. The first followed another good piece of play from Arsenal which finished with Campbell touching the ball on for Ramsey who was left one-on-one with Hart in the centre of the goal and the keeper did well to spread himself to turn the shot away. The second one was created from a brilliant ball from Giroud which found Ramsey on the edge of the box, and if he had been able to bring it down then it could easily have been a goal. Instead he had to improvise to stop the defenders around him from nicking the ball away and when he finally got the shot away, it sailed high over the crossbar.
City did eventually get their first real chance of the second half around the 80 minute mark. Jesus Navas found himself with the ball in lots of space on the right side and was allowed to run straight at the box without much threat from the Arsenal defence who struggled to catch him. When he was left in front of goal with a perfect opportunity, he tried to square the ball across the box to another City player instead of going for goal himself. By this point, the Arsenal defence were back in numbers and the ball was cleared before a City player could get anywhere near it.
The away side did manage to steal a goal back though. Yaya Toure played a one-two before finding himself in the perfect position to threaten Cech's goal. The ball was played back to him and with his first touch he lazily side-footed the ball towards the goal and it rose to land in the top-right corner out of Cech's reach. None of the Arsenal team really reacted as Toure took on the shot, and Cech didn't move from his starting position, and this goal means that Cech will have to wait before he can break James' record.
Both sides did get another chance a piece, but neither could finish them off with another goal. Ramsey was found at the other end of the pitch moments after the goal and he had a brilliant chance to give Arsenal their two goal cushion back, but his shot finished just wide of the far post. It was Toure with the last City chance as he played another one-two with De Bruyne on the edge of the box, but isn't balanced as he takes the shot and the ball finishes wide of the post without troubling Cech.
For Arsenal this was another big step to proving that maybe this year could be their year to win the Premier League trophy for the first time since the season of 'the invincibles'. They closed the gap between themselves and Leicester to only two points going into the busy Christmas period. For City, it means that they may have quite a hard task ahead as they face these coming matches without their captain Vincent Kompany who they are missing greatly as was proved again in this match. Either way, if this game did prove anything, it's that Arsenal don't look to be letting up any time soon. Ozil added another two assists to his tally along with Giroud adding another goal and if they carry on performing the way they are, they will prove to be a big force to be reckoned with.
After a couple of half chances for both sides, Kevin De Bruyne carved out a his first of two chances when he shifted the ball to his stronger foot to fire the shot towards the bottom corner of the goal, but Cech did well to get down to save the shot. Minutes later in the game, De Bruyne was left in a lot of space down the right wing and he used this to almost expose the Arsenal defenders. He did have the option of Silva in the middle of the box, but he decided to take on the shot himself and the ball ended up fizzing just wide of the far post.
He would feel like he should have done a lot better with his chance, especially after Arsenal did exploit the weaknesses in City's defence seconds later with their first chance of the game. Laurent Koscielny moved his team forward with a great lofted ball to Mesut Ozil who simply touched it onto Theo Walcott at the edge of the City box. He brought it back inside and created some space between him and his defender before firing his shot around Joe Hart and into the bottom of the net.
The goal knocked City back a bit, but they suffered an even bigger setback in the game with the last kick of the first half. Eliaquim Mangala tried to play out from the back but his pass into the midfield was very slack allowing Arsenal to move forward with the ball. It was Ozil again who played in Olivier Giroud this time, and he timed his run perfectly to stay onside before slotting the ball under Hart and into the far bottom corner of the City net to add to his brilliant run of scoring.
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| Olivier Giroud getting the better of Joe Hart to double Arsenal's lead Image from: http://www.emirates247.com/sports/football/walcott-giroud-fire-arsenal-to-win-over-city-2015-12-21-1.614633 |
It didn't end there though, with Arsenal having even more turns on Hart's goal to try and steal a third goal. Campbell had another good chance minutes later when he was left in acres of space on the right side and with no flag pulling him back, he raced into the box and toe-poked the ball on target, but Hart did well to turn the shot away with his foot.
Aaron Ramsey followed this up with two chances that should have put Arsenal out of sight as well. The first followed another good piece of play from Arsenal which finished with Campbell touching the ball on for Ramsey who was left one-on-one with Hart in the centre of the goal and the keeper did well to spread himself to turn the shot away. The second one was created from a brilliant ball from Giroud which found Ramsey on the edge of the box, and if he had been able to bring it down then it could easily have been a goal. Instead he had to improvise to stop the defenders around him from nicking the ball away and when he finally got the shot away, it sailed high over the crossbar.
City did eventually get their first real chance of the second half around the 80 minute mark. Jesus Navas found himself with the ball in lots of space on the right side and was allowed to run straight at the box without much threat from the Arsenal defence who struggled to catch him. When he was left in front of goal with a perfect opportunity, he tried to square the ball across the box to another City player instead of going for goal himself. By this point, the Arsenal defence were back in numbers and the ball was cleared before a City player could get anywhere near it.
The away side did manage to steal a goal back though. Yaya Toure played a one-two before finding himself in the perfect position to threaten Cech's goal. The ball was played back to him and with his first touch he lazily side-footed the ball towards the goal and it rose to land in the top-right corner out of Cech's reach. None of the Arsenal team really reacted as Toure took on the shot, and Cech didn't move from his starting position, and this goal means that Cech will have to wait before he can break James' record.
Both sides did get another chance a piece, but neither could finish them off with another goal. Ramsey was found at the other end of the pitch moments after the goal and he had a brilliant chance to give Arsenal their two goal cushion back, but his shot finished just wide of the far post. It was Toure with the last City chance as he played another one-two with De Bruyne on the edge of the box, but isn't balanced as he takes the shot and the ball finishes wide of the post without troubling Cech.
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| Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Hector Bellerin and Olivier Giroud celebrating their win at the end of the match Image from: http://www.theguardian.com/football/gallery/2015/dec/21/premier-league-arsenal-v-manchester-city-in-pictures |
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