Toure: we can build title tilt on defence
Big-spending City — whose appeal against the decision to send off Pablo Zabaleta following his bust-up with Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna late on will be heard today — were lambasted for a lack of ambition at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night, where they failed to muster a shot on target.
City boss Roberto Mancini, who was without forward duo David Silva and Mario Balotelli because of injury, maintained he had no issue with the chants of “boring” directed at his team by sections of the home crowd.
After all, it is Mancini’s team who remain second in the table and central defender Toure insists the battling draw shows City’s title credentials are based upon solid foundations.
“Chelsea came here and lost. We left with a point,” the Ivory Coast international said.
“Arsenal are playing really well at the moment so a draw on their ground is a good result. We defended well throughout the team and Joe Hart made some fantastic saves.
“It is very important to have a strong defence if you are challenging for major honours. Strikers can win you games, but defenders win you titles.”
It could have been a completely different outcome had Arsenal been rewarded for their blistering start with a couple of goals instead of twice hitting the base of Hart’s right-hand post, first through Robin van Persie and then Cesc Fabregas.
The England number one also pulled off a brilliant save to flick van Persie’s 25-yard drive over on the hour.
Hart admitted he had thought City were in for a hammering.
“I was hoping to get to 10 minutes without conceding a goal because I played here last season with Birmingham and had to pick the ball out of the net twice in the first seven minutes,” he said. “But it just shows what grit and determination we have got.
“Our defence and midfield made some great tackles at important times and as for our goal leading a charmed life, well, the goals are the same size for every game. It’s all about putting the ball between the posts rather than hitting them.”
For his part, Arsene Wenger feels he has little option but to rotate Arsenal’s battle-weary squad as the Gunners kick off their bid for FA Cup glory against Leeds tomorrow.
Wenger’s men are now four points adrift of leaders Manchester United, who have a match in hand, and trail City by two, having played a game less.
Before thoughts of re-igniting their championship challenge at bottom club West Ham in a fortnight, there is an FA Cup third-round date against npower Championship promotion hopefuls Leeds to get through, which will be swiftly followed by the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final against Ipswich.
With goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, centre-back Thomas Vermaelen and midfielder Abou Diaby all on the road to recovery and out of an uncharacteristically sparse treatment room, Wenger does not want to take any chances by overloading the rest of his team.
There will be at least one enforced change as Sagna starts a three-match suspension after Wenger confirmed there would be no appeal against the right-back’s red card for his clash with Zabaleta.
Emmanuel Eboue is a ready-made replacement, while fit-again England defender Kieran Gibbs, having now recovered from his latest ankle injury problem, should come in on the left and young midfielder Aaron Ramsey could also feature after his return from a productive loan spell at Nottingham Forest.
“We will rotate. There are going to be many changes,” Wenger, who revealed Arsenal won’t appeal Sagna’s dismissal, said.
“It will be good to have Kieran back and Eboue will play as Sagna is suspended. I have somewhere in my mind that I will make changes, but I don’t know who will play.
“I believe [Samir] Nasri and [Robin] van Persie could be short for Saturday. They have kicks — van Persie on the hip and Nasri on the ankle. It is a question of days. I will certainly rest van Persie and maybe Nasri.”
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