A great win, but one with a caveat

IN light of the Arsenal’s abysmal recent record against our immediate rivals, we were tickled pink to come away from Sunday’s game with three points, as it was looking like an encounter that was either going to leave us clinging to Chelsea’s coat-tails as a credible challenger, or battling it out with the also-rans for Champions League qualification.

Nevertheless I was so keen to see us lay down some sort of marker against Man City, that I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment that our comprehensive 3-0 triumph was somewhat cheapened, by the way in which the ref Clattenburg reduced the home side to 10 men in the opening minutes, thereby leaving Mancini able to contend (albeit almost unintelligibly) that his team would’ve won the day if it’d been an even contest.

It’s hard to argue, as City looked good value in those opening moments. With Richards running riot down their right flank and Silva pulling the strings with his silky skills, City looked more than capable of posing a threat against any defence. You only had to see their vastly expensive bench to suspect that City’s strength in depth is likely to serve them well when other sides might start to hit the wall in the Premier League marathon.

A red card for the opposition isn’t often cause for celebration, as aside from ruining the spectacle, it invariably ends up with them battening down the hatches.

Normally the penalty area would be far too congested with bodies, for us to be able to succeed in playing the one-two that resulted in Nasri’s opening goal. Still playing at home and with their own point to prove, City couldn’t spend the entire 85 minutes sitting on their heels and for once, the extra-man worked to our advantage.

Despite Fabregas being on the receiving end of several clatterings early on, Clattenburg seemed to spend the remainder of the first-half intent on evening up the odds. By half-time we were left wondering who in an Arsenal shirt hadn’t been booked and it’s to the Gunners credit (and much to my amazement) that we avoided giving the referee his get-out of jail card and lasted the 90 with all 11 still on the pitch.

Never mind the victory, keeping our first clean sheet away from home since Villa Park in January was cause to get the flags out and Fabianski was in fine form. However on a day when I should be singing his praises, there was one too many occasion when hesitation at the back should’ve been resolved by Lucasz bellowing in the ear of his defenders to leave the ball.

Standing behind Joe Hart’s goal and watching his impressive work, I couldn’t help but wonder where the Gunners might be with an equally imposing personality between the posts.

It wasn’t until Alex Song emphatically hammered home our second that I began to see the difference between an organically grown squad and a hotch-potch of star talent thrown together thanks to City’s loadsamoney owners, as any remaining resistance seemed to evaporate. Perhaps Mancini will foster a greater fighting spirit over time, but it’s not a facet of a team sport that you can turn on like a tap.

I was just delighted to be there. After having my car pinched a couple of weeks back, I replaced it with another old banger and fatalist that I am, I spent the entire couple of hundred mile journey, fully expecting the engine to blow up in my face. Hence having stopped at the services for something to eat just outside of Manchester and being accosted by a City fan in just such a predicament (his mate’s motor having died on them), I simply couldn’t refuse to come to his rescue. Besides which I benefited from my Samaritan act, as apparently my new Mancunian mate saved me from the scallies in hi-viz yellow coats, who pounce on unsuspecting travelling fans, by waving them into illegal parking pitches, where they are easy prey to unscrupulous private tow-away firms.

Chamakh appears to rise to these big occasions. I’m sure his team-mates appreciate the lone striker’s selfless efforts to provide the likes of Samir Nasri with space to weave his magic spell. But by ramping up the positive reading on the Gooner karma meter, I like to believe I too contributed to our success, in my own small way.