Arsenal and Manchester City had to settle for a goalless draw after an incredible tactical battle between Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola on Sunday.
City went into the game as the favourites, but Arsenal had been in great form since the turn of the year. They had won eight games on the bounce in the Premier League before the clash at the Etihad yesterday.
However, it was a chess game between the two managers, and although many neutrals found it incredibly boring, we must say it was a fantastic tactical battle.
Arsenal are now second in the Premier League table, while Manchester City are a point and a place below them.
Mikel Arteta shares what he sensed inside Arsenal’s dressing room
Arsenal have come such a long way from where they were a couple of seasons ago.
Manchester City dominating possession at the Etihad is nothing new, and the champions almost always batter their opponents at home.
However, Arsenal’s defending was absolutely magnificent, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes impressing from the first minute until the last.
The Frenchman was named as the Man of the Match for his incredible performance, but some of his comments after the game caught our eye.
“We are not satisfied 100 per cent,” Saliba said in his post-match interview.
Mikel Arteta was asked about the defender’s comments, and the Arsenal boss revealed that he felt the same from everyone inside the dressing room. He thinks that is unbelievable.
The Spaniard told Arsenal’s media team: “That’s the same. That’s the feeling I get in the dressing room. That’s unbelievable!
“We have prevented this team for the first time in three years to score a goal at home, that tells you the difficulty of it.
“But they want more. Individually we could’ve done more, as a team we could’ve done more. That’s good to see.”
William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhes’ stats vs Man City will blow you away
Every Arsenal player on the pitch deserves a lot of praise for their display yesterday, but two names stand out – William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes.
The two centre-backs were absolutely outstanding, and they dealt with Erling Haaland, who is the best striker in the world, without too much trouble.
This was the case at the Emirates as well back in October, and the two defenders’ stats against Manchester City in both games this season are just incredible.
Along with keeping clean sheets home and away against Manchester City, Saliba and Gabriel retained possession 20 times and won 16 duels in total. They also made 11 clearances, seven tackles and four interceptions against the champions, which is simply outstanding.
A draw is never enough for a big club, but Arsenal fans should be pleased with their side’s performance yesterday.
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