Five key talking points after Arsenal's 1-0 defeat at Manchester City

Bukayo Saka

Manchester City 1-0 Arsenal: five key talking points as Gunners slip to 1-0 defeat at Etihad Stadium

By Will Jennings


Arsenal slumped to a disappointing 1-0 defeat at Manchester City but the shoots of improvement continue to emerge for Mikel Arteta and his ever-evolving side.


Saturday evening’s defeat at the Etihad Stadium marked the Gunners’ 29th consecutive loss away at a ‘big six’ side but Arteta, still only in the Arsenal hotseat since December, looks to be narrowing the gap between his team and their rivals.


Arsenal went down 3-1 against defending Premier League champions Liverpool at Anfield and while a trip to City marked another defeat, the away day capitulations seen so frequently under Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery now appear a thing of the past.


The Gunners created a raft of opportunities against Pep Guardiola’s side as Bukayo Saka, Nicolas Pepe and the usually clinical Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were all denied by an impressive Ederson in the City goal.


We picked out five of the key talking points from Manchester as Raheem Sterling’s first-half winner meant the Gunners left the north-west empty-handed.

Arteta rues missed opportunities

Arsenal remained in the contest for considerable periods and it could have been so different if Saka, Aubameyang and Pepe had shown greater composure in the final third.


Arteta lamented his side’s profligacy in his post-match press conference and while the Gunners were more than good enough to compete with the 2018-19 champions, a lack of ruthlessness cost them dear.


Ederson thwarted both Saka – fresh off the back of his England debut against Wales – and captain Aubameyang, while Pepe planted a header wide and missed a free-kick to send Arsenal back to London with nothing.

Luiz makes amends for Etihad horror-show

The visitors’ chances were inhibited before the very start as Rob Holding, who has started the season promisingly at the heart of the Gunners defence, was ruled out with a hamstring injury in the warm-up.




And that opened the door to the mercurial figure of David Luiz, who endured an Etihad howler in last season's fixture as he was at fault for Sterling's first goal, and was sent off, in a comprehensive 3-0 defeat.


The Brazilian delivered a much-improved display on this occasion, however, receiving praise from his manager and proving that - on his day - he can be a dependable understudy for Holding.
Willian at the centre of the action - literally 
Arteta’s approach took many fans by surprise as Willian, a recent addition on a free transfer from Chelsea, was deployed as Arsenal’s central striker.


He was sandwiched between Aubameyang and Pepe in what – on paper – appeared a menacing triumvirate as an attacking force.


In that system, Arsenal did create enough chances to get something from the game so Arteta may take confidence from his innovative approach. With clashes against Rapid Vienna and Leicester City looming over the next seven days, will he stick or twist?

Time to start the Partey?

Saturday’s defeat also marked an eagerly-anticipated debut for combative midfielder Thomas Partey, who arrived on a deadline deal from Atletico Madrid.


The £45million man, 27, entered the fray on 83 minutes and while he was unable to make a tangible impact on the scoreline, signs of his talents were palpable.


The Ghanian international looked comfortable in possession and took his team up the field on a couple of occasions, gaining the praise of Arteta ahead of a busy period of the season both domestically and beyond.

VARcical use of technology?

Arsenal could have been awarded a golden opportunity to level at the end of the first-half as Arteta’s side were denied a potential penalty.


The Gunners boss made a post-match reference to the decision not to review Kyle Walker’s high boot on Gabriel in the City area, which did not make contact with the defender but was raised at head height.


On another day, the visitors may have got the rub of the green but it wasn’t to be on what unfolded into a frustrating night in Manchester for Arteta and his team.

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