In the end, the tactics were what we expected: the best attack in the league versus the best defence.
But the Manchester City versus Arsenal game was anything but an ordinary game. After Leandro Trossard was sent off, Arsenal packed their defence and City simply bombarded them with wave after wave of attacks.
In the second half, City had 24 shots at goal without reply from Arsenal. The Gunners took to the dark arts and simply packed their goal with the entire team.
Eventually, City scored an equaliser and the game finished even. Thrilling, exciting and edge-of-seat stuff but two men on the City side were far less than happy.
Pep Guardiola, as I have mentioned before, instructed his midfielders to feed the ball up to Erling Haaland, “if you do that he will get goals” said the Spanish genius.
He had already scored but when Arsenal had all nine men back in defence City could not find a way through.
Eventually, they scored from a corner but during the full frontal assault on the Arsenal goal Haaland received the ball only a handful of times and each time he was boxed in and he showed his frustration.
Once again this week Guardiola has emphasised that he wants Haaland to receive the ball far more often because he knows that even with his glittering array of talent it is the big Norwegian who will get City their goals.
Update on Rodri injury
I checked Rodri’s injury with Manchester City this week after he was forced off after 22 minutes in Sunday’s match against Arsenal. The medical team confirmed that the injury is serious and he could miss most of this season.
Further tests were due Thursday. Pep Guardiola emphasized that Rodri is not the type of player who feigns or makes the most of an injury to gain advantage for his team and he knew it would have to be something serious for the midfielder to ask to come off the field.
Rodri is tipped to win the Ballon d’Or this year and he has not been on the losing side with City since February 2023.
Ironically, he has spoken out lately about how dangerous the heavy match schedules are and how packing so many games together in a short space of time makes players vulnerable to injury.
He has superb footballing statistics with a 92.5 per cent passing accuracy and in training, everything revolves around him.
Tackling, retrieving possession and playing up through the middle are utmost in his game but off the ball, he is always reading the play, running and taking opponents out of position.
His passing accuracy since 2019 is an incredible 91 per cent. He is the heartbeat of City and Spain and it will take the genius of Guardiola to rebuild his midfield.
Mateo Kovacic is the favourite to replace him and in the past has done a good job. Ilkay Gundogan is back at the club and that is looking like a good piece of business.
The other option is 19-year-old Rico Lewis. Guardiola will have money available to buy a player in January but, historically, the club do not enter into the transfer merry-go-round in the winter period.
Odegaard could return in time for Liverpool clash
Martin Odegaard will remain out of Arsenal’s line-up due to an ankle injury, which he picked up on international duty.
Speaking to the club this week, manager Mikel Arteta said his captain’s injury was “significant” and he will not return before the international break.
It is hoped he could be fit for the visit of Liverpool on October 27. Initial reports said Odegaard could be out for most of the season but now the manager says; “I think it will be a matter of weeks. How long exactly? I cannot tell you. We might get a nice surprise but I doubt it.”
Oleksandr Zinchenko is still receiving treatment on his calf injury and Arteta said; “I think he will be out for a few weeks.”
United miss more chances than any other team
Manchester United are showing all the signs of being a different team to last year.
Regrettably for them, they sit only at 11th in the league. United have missed more chances to score than any other club this season and Erik Ten Hag is searching for the solution.
They have missed 17 open chances. Aston Villa are second, five chances behind. Ten Had should have sorted this out in pre-season when United played Liverpool in America and created a lot of chances and yet lost 3-0.
The same occurred when they lost the Charity Shield match against Manchester City. United’s defence is working and the number of shots at their goal after five games last season was 76 but this season it has dropped to 50.
Keeping ball possession is key to United’s defence and midfield and they have dramatically reduced having to defend in difficult tight spots. They have had the majority of possession in all five matches so far this season and against Crystal Palace last weekend they retained 70 per cent of the ball.
United have not recorded one single injury in defence since the season began and Martinez, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoul have started all five games and Ten Hag’s Ajax trio of Andre Onana, Mathias De Ligt and Martinez are bonding and providing stability.
Eleven of United’s players have been involved in every game and six players have started every game, which Ten Hag never enjoyed last season.
Dalot in particular is proving his worth as a top-class player and he often moves out of defence into midfield, operating as a number six and feeding balls forward.
Last season, Ten Hag claimed injuries were preventing him from fielding his best side and he could not perfect training routines and patterns of play.
This year he has no such problem. He is convinced United will climb the table now the team has improved and once he has sorted out his best attack, they will be stronger.
Captain Mings close to Villa return
Aston Villa are in third in the Premier League with four wins and one loss.
They will get stronger after manager Unai Emery revealed captain Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara are back in training and close to first team return.
Mings suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Newcastle and was ruled out in the opening game of last season. Kamara suffered a knee ligament injury against Manchester United in February.
Villa paid £50 million for Amadou Onana to give cover and provide competition for Kamara. Onana has done well in midfield, blending in with Youri Tielemans, who has scored three goals.
Emery said of Onana; “He is important in everything. We missed Tyrone Mings from set-pieces last year, offensively and defensively. A player who is that tall is important and Onana has added that. He can add goals as well when he gets into the box.”
Lopetegui under pressure at Hammers
West Ham’s hierarchy and supporters wanted more style and aggression from their team and fired coach David Moyes who brought them a top-ten finish and a European trophy in the last two seasons.
It must be admitted that under Moyes some of the results grinded out were less than attractive to watch. Julen Lopetegui was brought in and the club directors argued that the ex-Real Madrid coach would bring entertaining football back to the London Stadium.
After a stuttering start to the season the football being played is still dull and we are yet to see the quality that built Lopetegui’s reputation. A magic turnaround was expected by fans but it just hasn’t happened — yet.
Trossard claims he did not hear ref’s whistle
The aftermath of last Sunday’s City versus Arsenal match rumbles on.
Red-carded Leandro Trossard told us this week that he didn’t hold up play purposely but did not hear the referee's whistle for a foul.
Trossard said he explained to referee Michael Oliver that he intended to pass the ball but still got sent off.
City players have accused Arsenal of using “dark arts” as they packed their defence and wasted time after going into a 2-1 up.
Several Arsenal players suffered from cramps and claimed they were having to play too soon after facing Atalanta on Thursday night and arriving home at 4 am on Friday.
They then had only 48 hours to prepare for the City match and, of course, played with 10 men for 45 minutes.
Jackson proving his worth
Enzo Maresca has heralded Nicolas Jackson for his performances this season.
He is a player transformed from failure to superstar. Last season, Jackson tripped over the ball, lost tackles, fluffed chances and was a liability. He then became a bench player.
This season, he is a different person in a team of complete strangers who play together but don’t link together since their relationships are still in the infant stage.
His two goals against West Ham means only Erling Haaland has scored more in the Premier League this season. Eight goals in 10 PL games against 10 goals in 30 matches last season.
He has notched up 24 shots in the opening games. His two against the Hammers is the quickest by a Chelsea player in a Premier League match since Didier Drogba in 2005.
Everton sale going through
The owners of Italian club AS Roma have agreed to buy Everton owner Farhad Moshiri’s 94.1 per cent shareholding.
The Friedkin Group were negotiating in July but reached no agreement. However, they returned with new proposals, which have been accepted.
The agreement has to receive approval from the regulators of the Premier League, the Football Association and the Financial Conduct Authority... but the deal should go through.
A spokesperson for the Friedkin Group said; “We look forward to providing stability to the club and sharing our vision for its future including the completion of the new Everton Stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.”