Sam Oliver
Well that was a great game of Football - a joy to watch, fast-paced and some great attacking football on show. In the end, a draw was a fair result, but either team probably could have nicked it, especially in the last few minutes. In the Arsenal camp before the game, the main two worries were that of Mannone, and Mertesacker against the pace of Agüero; thankfully, we were proved wrong. Although you could hold Mannone accountable for the first goal, it was a difficult cross to deal with and he made a few good saves later on. Mertesacker, on the other hand, was brilliant - some crucial interceptions and he controlled our back four well.
The game started evenly, with Gervinho having the best chance, but an awful touch allowed Joe Hart to come out and claim the ball. Then, Kieran Gibbs needlessly gave away a corner, and Joleon Lescott rose above Podolski at the far post to head it into the top corner. Vito came and didn't get, but harsh to blame him; a lot of bodies in the way and it was a great header. The first half ended, and Arsenal could have considered themselves unlucky to be going in behind.
The second half was quite similar, but Arsenal began to threaten more and more. Cazorla yet again looked good, Ramsey was working hard and playing well and, bizarrely, from right-back, Carl Jenkinson looked dangerous; he was fantastic, going forward and defensively, and he also put one hell of a shift in. But it was the pint-sized Spanish midfielder who fired in a testing shot at Joe Hart which led to the corner, which the teeny Spaniard took. City couldn't clear their lines, and our fantastic Frenchman, Laurent Koscielny, banged it home; no less than the Arsenal deserved. There were still ten minutes left, and Vincent Kompany nearly got the winner for City with a brilliant bicycle-kick, but a determined Vito Mannone kept it out with a smart save, with Sergio Agüero firing the rebound wide. Gervinho could have won it for the Gunners at the death, but it wasn't his day; he worked very hard but his touch let him down when he got into the right positions. A draw was probably a fair reflection of the game.
Can I just say, I enjoy watching Arsenal a lot more without Robin? He's a great player, but so much went through him, and it was all about him. There was a severe lack of team harmony, and, looking back, Robin seemed to get progressively more self-centred and arrogant as the season went on. That can't be good for the spirit in the dressing-room. With him and that ridiculously cocky Cameroonian gone, the team seems much more together, and I for one enjoy watching the Gunners a lot more.
And finally, how good was Per Mertesacker on Sunday? Countless interceptions, kept Agüero and Dzeko quiet, an all-round top pro and looks so calm and composed on the ball in his own half when under pressure, you have to wonder if he's taken something he shouldn't have before the game. Cries of 'we've got a big f***ing German, big f***ing German' were very audible on the television, and for good reason - a brilliant performance from him, my Man of the Match, closely followed by Carl Jenkinson. The German Giant rightly received Man of the Match from Sky. In short, good result, great performance, many positives to take from it. Forward Arsenal.
