Manchester City faced a ten-man Arsenal side for the second half due to a Leandro Trossard red card in the first half. Subsequently, the second half felt more like a City training session than a competitive soccer match. Mikel Arteta tasked his players with defending their box diligently for as long as they could.
It was not until the final set-piece of the game that City took advantage of a momentary lapse in the concentration of the Arsenal players. A shot from Mateo Kovacic ricocheted into the six-yard box and, where an unmarked John Stones easily tapped the ball in.
City once again sit atop the Premier League table, two points ahead of the Gunners. The most notable takeaway from the game, however, will be the sending-off of Trossard. It is yet another weekend where the consistency of the officials is put into question.
Another blunder from a Premier League referee?
Immediately after leaving the pitch, ambiguity surrounded Trossard’s red card. The Belgian international had already been booked earlier in the first half. The incident that got him sent off was not necessarily because of any harmful play either.
The official Premier League Match Center X account posted that referee Michael Oliver sent Trossard off for “delaying the restart”. This explanation applies to when Trossard hastily booted the ball in the air after conceding the foul. In this context, it appears that the referee is simply following the letter of the law.
Alternatively, there is an argument to be made about the careless inconsistencies shown by Premier League officials every week. An example exists in this same game. Jeremy Doku also delayed the restart of the game in an unrelated incident but did not see a card.
Many fans will also look back to a year ago when fans deemed Kovacic fortunate to remain on the pitch. Michael Oliver officiated that fixture, as well as the game today. After the game, PGMOL chief Howard Webb admitted that Kovacic was “extremely fortunate” to remain on the pitch after two reckless challenges.
It is patterns of incidents like these that conjure the accusations of inconsistency every week in England.
Arsenal defended for their lives against Manchester City in the second half
One thing that remained consistent, however, was Arsenal’s will to defend. Arteta sent his ten men out for the second half with a gameplan that became obvious quickly. Arsenal set up in a low block that would make Sam Allardyce proud and never looked back.
Similar to last week against Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal’s shape was quite narrow. Arteta looked vindicated in assuming that City would attempt to play through their shape instead of attacking wide. Regardless of their position, an Arsenal player entered the pitch and immediately conformed to the rigidity of the shape.
Inevitably, Arsenal found some moments of respite higher up the pitch. Unfortunately, Arteta was adamant that Arsenal play without an outlet. The player this affected most was Kai Havertz. The German international became the first Premier League player in seven seasons to play a full game without completing a pass. This statistic added insult to the injury that Stones had already inflicted.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
