City all blood and thunder yet little to show for it
On the eve of their now customary winless trip to Arsenal, former north London favourites Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure were involved in a training ground altercation – the latest in an increasing list of in-house scraps that may threaten their title charge. Showing fight towards your team-mates is one thing, taking the fight to the opposition is another. City failed to do that against Arsenal — although once again managed it in a literal sense — and with no victors on the pitch, the real winners were Manchester United. Alex Ferguson’s men are two points ahead of their noisy neighbours and with two games game in hand to boot.
City’s search for a win at Arsenal stands at 36 years – the same amount of time since they last won a trophy – and if last night’s combat with Arsene Wenger’s side is anything to go by, it may take a while longer yet to end their famine. For all the promise intensified by the arrival of such talented and sought after players, it remains just that at the minute – promise. Only when City finally have reason to bring out the trophy polish will the clouds of uncertainty over the project have a silver lining.
Roberto Mancini will excuse the behaviour of Adebayor and Toure on the old cliché about players showing they care but if only City showed the same tenacity in last night’s Premier League clash that they have done on the training field they’d be level on top of the league, for one.
It was somewhat typical, then, that City’s Pablo Zabaleta was sent off along with Bacary Sagna for clashing on the touchline towards the end of this stalemate. All blood and thunder from City yet little to show for it.
Adebayor and Toure almost came to blows just a few weeks after Mario Balotelli had to be pulled apart from Jerome Boateng in
It’s no doubt Mancini has two fights to win – for the title and to contain the increased egotism that is dominating the City dressing room. It’s all very well having players who ‘show they care’ but Mancini will be desperate to translate this on to the pitch.
In many ways, he has. City, who remain on the coat-tails of leaders United, are very much in the title race despite this draw and the imminent arrival of Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko from Wolfsburg will undoubtedly boost Mancini’s firepower up front. On the basis of their insistence to settle for a point away at Arsenal, perhaps Dzeko’s arrival will force City out of their shell.
Mancini was harmed by the absence of Balotelli and Spanish schemer David Silva last night in a match that allowed both sides to validate the path they are taking towards the Premier League. For Arsenal, the emphasis is on frugality. Out of their starting line up, the most expensive player was Samir Nasri at around €14m – short change when compared to City’s cast of expensive signings.
Wenger’s insistence on keeping the lid on excessive spending is admirable yet frustrating for Arsenal fans desperate to see a big name arrival – particularly in defence – to lift them to the next level. Up the M1 in Manchester, no expense has been spared in order to make City challenge for their first top flight league title since 1968.
Yet in order to finish top of the table in May, City need to continue beating their challengers just like they did against Chelsea earlier in the season. It’s all very well swatting also-rans aside at Eastlands; real champions go away to their rivals and dent their foes’ prospects. Until City can do that on a consistent basis, the long wait will go on.
And while they may never be invincible again, Arsenal possess an easy on the eye quality that makes them the neutral’s choice but Wenger needs to learn to fight ugly if he wants to end his side’s own trophy drought. The clock has ticked over into its sixth year of waiting but there are signs he’s finally managed to marry guile with guts and brawn with brains.
Nobody really won the battle last night – and the winners of this season-long war is anyone’s guess.
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