The first competitive fixture of the season, one in which City were both physically and tactically outdone by an impressive Arsenal side.
City started out with a 4-2-3-1 formation, using Dzeko as the lone striker, and Jovetić playing in the hole behind, out wide were Jesus Navas and Samir Nasri. It was an exciting attacking lineup, but City failed to show any attacking fluency, often looking ponderous in possession, moving the ball at a pedestrian pace, allowing Arsenal time to get back into shape, rather than the quick incisive movement that was so ever-present last season which of course, helped us to one of the best seasons in the club’s history.
In defensive midfield, City had Yaya Toure and Fernando patrolling in front of the back four. Fernando was the deeper of the two, allowing Yaya to roam forward and hurt Arsenal with his runs from deep, something which worked wonderfully last season. On this occasion though, City were under the cosh, and Yaya seemed to look disinterested at times, passing the defensive responsibility solely onto Fernando, leaving him horribly exposed against Ramsey and Wilshere. In plain and simple terms, City were completely overrun.
In the Full-back positions for City was Aleksander Kolarov and Gael Clichy, the latter was asked to play right-back, and looked horribly uncomfortable, failing to support Navas, who was often left isolated, and doubled up on by Gibbs and Wilshere. Last season, the fullbacks were used to devastating effect, Kolarov and Zabaleta in particular, were used to create the natural width and help bring balance to the side, without Zabaleta in the team, the shape was largely flat, and City had no attacking threat on the overlap.
Last season City came in for criticism off the media for playing a high line, Vincent Kompany would often marshall the defence, making sure his defensive unit pushed high up the pitch, nullifying the space and helping City in an attacking sense to win the ball higher up the pitch. Against Arsenal the Central defensive partnership of Boyata and Nastasic looked both unorganised and bereft of pace. It was something Arsenal exploited ruthlessly using the pace of Sanchez.
During the second half, City seemed to revert to a 4-3-3, the introduction of both Zuculini and Silva helped City to control the game, having possession more in Arsenal’s final third, but again our tempo was too flat, moving the ball from side to side but without no real purpose or penetrating effect. The 4-3-3 formation is something which hopefully, we will see in more games this season, particularly European games away against the better sides. Using Fernando as the defensive shield, and having Fernandinho and Toure, it should help give us a balanced and powerful midfield capable of mixing it with the world’s best.
Bearing in mind it was a friendly, and so we mustn’t read into in terms of match sharpness, it was still worrying how slow and off the pace City looked in terms of fitness. The team looked horribly off the pace, with Arsenal far sharper and fitter, hopefully however, with more training in the week leading up to the first league game against Newcastle, the players will pick up some vital fitness and hopefully, hit the ground running, and let the other sides in the league start chasing us, rather than us chasing them.
