On the Volley: Experience prevails in crucial title matchup between City and Arsenal

By Charlie DeMatteo

Arsenal’s transition from top-4 contenders last season to title favorites at times this season has been nothing short of extraordinary. While the Gunners have been on a tear this season, some shaky form coming into a game versus title rivals Manchester City was not ideal.

Without Thomas Partey and Gabriel Jesus, the Gunners simply didn’t have the cutting edge against City. They fell 3-1, putting City atop the Premier League table for the first time this season. While on the surface it may look like a choke job from Arsenal, who has been in control all season, it is hard to expect this Arsenal team to have all the answers in what is their first title race.

Take Liverpool for example; they pushed Man City to the brink in 2018-19, finishing on an outrageous 97 points but still not winning the league. However, Jurgen Klopp and his men continued their fine form the following season and ran away with the league title putting up 99 points. 

I don’t think it’s fair to Arsenal to call them a failure if they don’t go on to win the Premier League this season, just as that Liverpool side in 18/19 were not classified as failures. 

With that being said, there were a few glaring observations to be made in Arsenal’s loss to City. For starters, they just looked a bit frazzled. Whether it was overcooking passes, taking too long to make a decision in the final third, mental lapses leading to goals or poor finishing, Arsenal wasn’t able to better City in the key moments of the game. 

However, in the grand scheme of the game, I don’t think Arsenal played poorly. In fact for large parts of the game, they played like they have all season. The Gunners went through their passing patterns and controlled much of the game, but when it came to making that one tackle or taking that one chance, they just didn’t have it.

Whether Arsenal wants to accept it or not though, there is a logical explanation for how the game played out: They just haven’t been here before. City didn’t play their best on Wednesday, but they were clinical in moments and on the whole played the smarter game.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a tactical manager, and I think he actually got the best of his former boss Pep Guardiola. That much is without a doubt a positive. At their best, Arsenal can dictate the game against City and can create chances; they are their equal. What determines the result in games like these, however, is in the little things, not the tactics of the team.

Keeping your composure, staying level-headed, and trusting your teammates are all things City did very well, and things Arsenal struggled with. It wasn’t the stylistic approach to the game that caused the defeat for Arsenal, rather it was a sum of intangibles that they lacked that saw them fall short.

While many will look at this result and think Arsenal’s chances of winning the league are now zero, I would argue against that. Arsenal is level on points with City having played one less game, and they will make up that game against City away from home at the Etihad. If Arsenal wants to win the league, they will have to beat City away from home, which is no easy task; Arsenal hasn’t beaten City home or away in the league for eight years.

While their chances are slim, there is still a way back for Arsenal. On Wednesday, Arsenal was without their heartbeat in midfield, Partey. Everything good Arsenal has done this year has gone through Partey, and he was greatly missed. Partey should be back soon from a muscle injury, and when he comes back, Arsenal can’t miss a beat.

If you want to know how consistent you have to be to beat Man City to the league title, just ask Liverpool. Not only will Arsenal have to go on an incredible run, but they will also most definitely have to beat City at their place. With Partey in the team, I still think they can do both of those things.

Arsenal’s confidence will no doubt be low right now, and I wouldn’t blame them. However, I would also caution them that no one would have predicted them to be in this position currently, and there are still many games to be played.