Premier League champions Manchester City kicked off their new campaign with a convincing 2:0 win over Arsenal. Raheem Sterling opened the scoring with a brilliant finish from just outside the box before Bernardo Silva doubled his side’s lead just after the hour mark.
And here at the MAEPL, we will discuss three reasons why Manchester City sealed a convincing win against the Gunners.
A solid defence
Maintaining a rigid defensive shape played a key role behind Manchester City’s success over Arsenal. Indeed! The duo of John Stones and Aymeric Laporte exceeded expectations after being given starts over Kompany and Otamendi.
Laporte, in particular, was arguably the best defender of the game as he mustered four clearances along with two interceptions while Stones also made a handy contribution by winning three aerial duels and one interception.
Stones was more involved in City’s build-up from the back as he attempted 72 passes with an accuracy of 93%. Laporte also chipped in with 59 passes with similar accuracy.
Defensively, they played a key role in nullifying the threat of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who was ineffective for the most part of the game. But, even when Arsenal came at full force, they were dogged in defence, often making key blocks and clearances to help Ederson preserve the clean sheet.
Dynamic fullbacks
It’s probably fair to say that Manchester City’s efficient fullbacks won them the game against Arsenal.
The duo of Kyle Walker and Benjamin Mendy were clinical throughout the course of the game. Though Mendy did appear to be tentative at times, the Frenchman was involved in both of City’s goals. Especially in the second half, he delightfully teed-up Bernardo Silva, who was clinical to double his team’s lead in the second half.
Aside from their offensive contributions, however, both Walker and Mendy were a huge influence on Ozil and Mkhitaryan’s lack of impact in this game. Walker, in particular, was solid as a rock as he kept Mkhitaryan quiet until the final whistle while Mendy bombarded forward with his blistering pace and stamina never allowing the Arsenal wide players to settle.
Mendy completed 43 passes and made three tackles along with one interception, one clearance and two blocks, making him the most influential defender of the game. Walker, too, wasn’t far behind with 59 passes, three aerial duels and three dribbles.
Arsenal’s lack of identity
It was rather evident that Arsenal lacked any identity and cohesion under Unai Emery, which is understandable given the fact that the Spaniard took over from Arsene Wenger earlier this summer.
There were a lot of undefined roles for certain players which cost them dearly. For instance, it was unclear whether Aaron Ramsey was deployed as the lone number ten or a secondary striker. And the uncertainty was evident in his performance as he could only muster 12 passes before being subbed off in the second half.
Furthermore, Arsenal, at times, tried to be too clever with the ball even inside the penalty area, which ultimately awarded Manchester City with more time to recover themselves and get their shape right. Laporte and Stones, in particular, were the beneficiaries of Arsenal’s lack of directness in attack.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored