Manchester City and Arsenal cancel each other out in Etihad stalemate
STALEMATE: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta speak ahead of the Premier League match. Photo credit: Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
THE real winner of the first goalless draw at the Etihad in well over two years sat a few miles across the north-west in Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool saw their lead at the top of the Premier League hold firm after their two closest rivals cancelled each other out in a game that hardly qualified as a classic.
Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta cancelled each other out as the Etihad witnessed a goalless stalemate for the first time since Southampton held City to a 0-0 in September 2021.
Against all the odds and expectations, the game failed to deliver much in the way of high quality football, let alone drama, which was perfect news for Klopp, of course.
After his side had beaten Brighton minutes before kick-off at the Etihad, a draw between Liverpool’s two main rivals was precisely the result he was looking for as the title race counts down to less than 10 games remaining.
City were contending without England pair John Stones and Kyle Walker, injured on international duty in midweek, which seemed to lead to an uncharacteristically cautious approach by Guardiola.
It was not helped by Nathan Ake picking up an injury after just 25 minutes, forcing City into a reshuffle involving substitute Rico Lewis.
Guardiola’s friend, opposite number Arteta, was also hardly in the mood to throw caution to the wind, given that a draw would have suited his side more than City.
Still, the closest to chances in the first half fell to the visitors, on the counter attack, with former City striker Gabriel Jesus twice granted a sight of goal and twice missing the target comfortably.
City might have taken a slightly flukey lead on 15 minutes, when Kevin De Bruyne’s corner struck Ake in the face, only for the ball to bounce easily for David Raya to collect.
Erling Halaand, still well short of the prodigious productivity he was responsible for last season, was a virtual non-factor in the opening 45 minutes although he did manage to lose his markers long enough to glance a header wide from Josko Gvardiol’s 37th minute cross.
Guardiola, at least, had plenty of attacking options on his bench although he started the second half as he had ended the first and there was a slight improvement at its start.
Lewis showed a nice piece of skill on the edge of the Arsenal area, setting up a shooting opportunity which Mateo Kovacic curled just wide.
Arsenal, too, were showing more urgency and should have been in front after 52 minutes when Gvardiol was hounded out of possession halfway inside the City half by William Saliba.
His ball to Martin Odegaard ended up in the path of Bukayo Saka whose superb low cross flew through City’s six-yard area and was just missed by Jesus as he slid in, with the goal gaping.
The increase in tempo was resulting in an increase in fouls to go with it, especially from the visitors, although referee Anthony Taylor reached the hour mark having steadfastly refused to show a card.
The tactical chess match between the managers ensued, sparked by Guardiola throwing on wingers Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish, a signal of intent.
Doku showed a couple of inspirational flashes, prompting Arteta to bring on Takehiro Tomiyasu to try and negate his impact, a ploy that worked well as City struggled to carve out anything resembling a major chance.
On 77 minutes, De Bruyne led a counter-attack on the charge and did well to pick out the trailing Doku in the area but the young Belgian blasted harmlessly over.
Raya joined Jesus in the referee’s book, as Taylor finally lost patience and Arsenal cleverly sought to waste time in winding down the clock although Grealish almost wrecked that aim on 82 minutes when he picked out Doku who failed to connect cleanly at the far post.
Haaland looked to have been presented with a great late chance, as he pounced on Gvardiol’s set-piece header, but could not make contact at the far post.
And Leandro Trossard drew an even later save from Stefan Ortega, despite racing through from what looked an offside position.
Ortega 6; Akanji 5, Dias 7, Ake 6 (Lewis 26, 6), Gvardiol 6; Rodri 8, Silva 7, De Bruyne 6, Kovacic 7 (Grealish 61, 6), Foden 6 (Doku 61, 7); Haaland 6.
Stones, Alvarez, Gomez, Nunes, Carson, Bobb.
Raya 6; White 6, Saliba 8, Gabriel 7, Kwior 6 (Tomiyasu 66, 5); Odegaard 7, Jorginho 6 (Partey 66, 5), Rice 7; Saka 6 (Martinelli 78, 5), Havertz 6, Jesus 5 (Trossard 72, 5).
Ramsdale, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Vieira, Zinchenko.
A Taylor 5.
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