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Arsenal 1 - Manchester CITY 0

FA Barclays Premier League

The Emirates Stadium

08/04/12

Attendance: 60, 096

Referee: Martin Atkinson

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Arsenal	1 - 0	Manchester CITY
Arteta 87′

Venue: The Emirates Stadium		Attendance: 60, 096

The Teams
13 Szczesny		25 Hart
03 Sagna		04 Kompany
05 Vermaelen		05 Zabaleta
06 Koscielny		06 Lescott
28 Gibbs	56'	22 Clichy
07 Rosicky		07 Milner
08 Arteta		18 Barry
14 Walcott	85'	19 Nasri	79'
17 Song		42 Y Toure	17'
30 Benayoun	78'	16 Aguero	83'
10 Van Persie		45 Balotelli

Substitutes
21 Fabianski		30 Pantilimon
11 Santos	56'	02 Richards
20 Djourou		13 Kolarov	79'
25 Jenkinson		08 Pizarro	17'
15 Ox-Chamberlain	85'	34 De Jong
16 Ramsey	78'	10 Dzeko
29 Chamakh		32 Tevez	83'

Game Statistics
13	Goal Attempts	5
7	On Target	2
7	Corners	6
3	Offside	5
13	Fouls	14
2	Yellow Cards	5
64	%	36
Comments...
Johnny On The Spot: Manchester City are threatening a previously unthinkable implosion right now. They got what they deserved from a one nil thrashing at Arsenal today and that was absolutely nothing. The completely incompetent Martin Atkinson can't be blamed this time around. Some of the City players appeared to have thrown in the title towel from the first whistle and in point of fact Arsenal's opening attacking intentions suggested that they were the side who were ready to fight tooth and nail to overcome their own bitterest rivals...Despite a sternly marshalled defence which consisted of five players committed to the cause, The Blues were horribly disjointed throughout and woefully toothless up front...The side is now completely unrecognisable in both invention and intent from the team that swept all before them last autumn and led the league for six dreamland months. But a title challenging campaign, so new to so many of us across Planet Blue is a marathon, not a sprint and a hell of a one at that...Roberto Mancini's squad have stuttered to a handbraked halt and the dreaded "set up to not get beat" mentality appears to have reasserted itself in the backroom staff's tactics. It's a play with fire gamble at this stage of the season and has seen The Citizens go behind repeatedly in increasingly crucial clashes...Mancio's faith in Mario Balotelli and all his lorryload of baggage is fast becoming a standpoint upon which the City gaffer is being ultimately judged upon despite the progress we have made under his leadership. But the fact is that tonight, having meekly surrendered the title, City return north knowing that they must secure two wins from the final six games to secure second place. That would have seemed a ludicrous statement to make two months ago but on current form, the team will struggle to realise those wins with any ease.

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Writer: Johnny Baguette

Date:Sunday April 8 2012

Time: 6:16PM

Your Comments

Ballotelli needs a shrink to sort out whatever is going on in his head silly challenge to get the second yellow and will prob pick up an extra ban for the high foot challenge in the first half. BUT my god Sagna rolls more than a baker diving w@anker...it all looks bleak in regards to the league now what dya think will Mancini still be you come next season?

only 1 spurs

As much as I loathe utd with a passion I'm so so glad we have put the final nail in citehs' title hopes for the season. You were utterly played off the park today despite poaching some of our key players and lashing out multi multi millions these seasons past, why is that? why can't you just buy success? that was the expression worn by your oil barons as they watched their dismal collection of disinterested, defeated before the 1st whistle bunch of mercenary grabbers put up that pitiful performance. A victory of class, skill, humanity and a love of playing the game the right way over flatulent decadent petulant wealth obsessed greed. All played out to the hilarity of 'carlos Tevez he plays when he wants' and 'na$ri what's the score?' That was the footballing version of Skywalker blowing up the death star right there. Love it :)

nikolaijns

only 1 spurs....err Bale??? biggest cheating chimpy diver in the league, glass houses sunshine.

nikolaijns

Outplayed and outclassed in every position on the pitch. You lot was steamrolled by an Arsenal team that made you look like a poor version of Stoke City. Has anyone told Barry that a game last 90 minutes, and Milner he was so poor he wouldnt even get into another PL side.. You know you have been *****e when you make Rosicky look a worldclass AM. You should been hammered 4-0 but at least Kompany was average in defence. Balottelli - what a nasty piece of work.

nordkap

Time to sign another 100m£ sponsor deal from one of the arab cousins. I hear one of them runs a broke cab company, Im sure he could sponsor your snoods for the next season..

nordkap

Look, the trolls are out. And yet we still finish above each of their teams this season. Enjoy the victory you sad, bitter fools whose first priority after a win is to come here - our title win is inevitable and if this result makes the brass' decision to bring in Mourinho, god help you all.

StuMCFC

Im dissapointed with City to be honest, i thought it would go down to the wire and they would beat Utd when they play...Not going to happen now though. Arsenal were good today, City were pretty poor and didn't deserve anything, Mancini got it totally wrong, for 1 playing Milner and starting Balotelli and keeping him on, the man is a disgrace, that challenge on Song first half was horrific.

P.Avfc

Still think they will win the league next year...And i hope champions league, i want an english teams to be a success in europe and can't rely on Utd, Arsenal, Chelsea or Spurs...If City fail you get 100m+ pumped in on Players so you are most likely to win it than any other team + if you can get Mourinho you would be much better.

P.Avfc

You're the one sounding bitter stu tbh. Your arrogance re your title claims and wish to sack your manager are equally unpalatable, all in all not your finest hour really, go and have a lie down and cuddle sky blue teddy mate.

nikolaijns

Not arrogant at all, the title is inevitable because we'll stop at nothing to win it. This is our first title challenge don't forget, it took Slur Alex 7 years to win his while - in the context of the transfer market in those days - being able to spend more money on players than almost everyone. Also, do not talk to me about buying success, being a Gooner you'll know where the "Bank of England" nickname your club once had game from won't you?

StuMCFC

Yes our bank of England moniker came from our rep as having solid financial foundations, not from immorally lashing the GDP of several small countries up the wall on bell ends like adebayor tevez and balotelli. And yes, yes it was arrogant.

nikolaijns

I'll just compliment City on one point, and that is that unlike some managers like Dalglish, Mancini is dignified in defeat. But it was fun to see Clichy and Na$ri on the losing side. But you gotta admit we deserved it. After that triple miss, I said "its gonna be one of those days". But Arteta steps up again. Is anyone still willing to say that Arsenal is a one man team?

Gunnerfan1987

Stu, the author of this article is a City fan with much more intelligence and perspective than you do. Even with 100 million more spent there is no guarantee of a league win next year. Its a marathon and not a sprint. You have a better chance winning the CL than the league next year.

Deltaforce

Got nothing because we deserved nothing in a game where both teams needed the points but you would not think that come the final whistle. City can play far better than that and need to show the fans they care even in defeat.

Buzz lightyear

First up, well played Arsenal, much the better side today, completely deserving of their victory. There's absolutely no call for the level of nastiness and vitriol in some of these comments but hey enjoying a win just doesn't seem to do it for most, they get more kicks out of being spiteful, each to their own I suppose

Bluedub

Well done Arsenal for dooing us afavour ,City,s lack of form of late has been a suprise and being their first title charge has taken its toll but there is something deeply at fault with the set up of the team same thig happened to Newcastle in the mid Nineties

nickster

While I loathe City with me being a Rag fan, they have played some awesome football this season - I think its time for you guys to cull the herd and get rid of deadwood like Blagatelly, Tevez, Dzeko to name a few.

Players like Micah Richards, Joe Hart, and Vinnie Kompany are the people to build a team around - these guys seem to live, breathe and sleep City....

niteworlok

Nickster, a bit of an exaggeration with the Newcastle reference I feel. Niteworlok, get rid of our whole strikeforce except Aguero? Bit extreme mate.

Bluedub

I think you guys need to get rid of those who will cause you more problems than what they are worth - and I am sure you have more strikers than those 3!
Aguero is a fantastic striker, and seems to avoid the limelight like Mario, while Mario is a fantastic footballer, he really is a clown when things dont go his way - he is impetuous, but its not all down to him why you are now 8 points behind

niteworlok

We have Guidett/Adebayor/RSCi out on loan NW. Hopefully Guidetti gets his chance next season. Ade and Mancini don't see eye to eye, so that's a no go and RSC is past it. That's all the strikers we have NW unless we start looking at the academy. There is a popular myth out there that we have this massive squad to pick from, we have used 23 players in our PL campaign so far this season, as opposed to U*d's 31.

Bluedub

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