The moment Kovacic makes a sliding tackle on Rice, the Arsenal players and fans start yelling for a second booking.
Does Arteta need to make a choice on Raya at this time? Every time he is put under pressure on the ball, you can see the terror in his eyes. He is a bundle of nerves.
It’s challenging enough to defeat City, let alone when your custodian gives up a few chances in the first thirty minutes. Arteta admitted that his lone mistake as a manager was failing to replace his custodian during a match. Although it would be brutal, maybe halftime offers a less brutal opportunity to execute it.
Very cautious play thus far, with neither team really trying to advance. City, in particular, is content to maintain patience (although there have been a few poor passes behind).
The atmosphere in this match is what you should be paying attention to. The Arsenal supporters had been really angry with David Raya’s decision-making and execution, but in the last five to ten minutes, they have become more enthused by some strong tackles from both sides.
The City defenders should have been forced to drop deeper by his ball-carrying skills alone, but they manage to stay on the halfway line. Similar to Martinelli’s absence, Jesus and Trossard don’t quite have the same menace or pace.
Dias fails to make a catch, allowing Nketiah to advance. Nketiah is able to cut inside and shoot after a teammate runs in front of him to distract a defender, but he is unable to curl his shot enough to hit the far post.
🚨GOAL | Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City | Gabriel Martinelli
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— VAR Tático (@vartatico) October 8, 2023