{"id":630422,"date":"2023-10-08T05:11:42","date_gmt":"2023-10-08T09:11:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=630422"},"modified":"2023-10-08T06:45:19","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T10:45:19","slug":"5-ways-arsenal-can-defeat-manchester-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/10\/08\/5-ways-arsenal-can-defeat-manchester-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 5 Ways Arsenal Can Make It Lucky 13 Against Manchester City"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Arsenal<\/span><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0began their preparations for meeting\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/09\/19\/manchester-city-bernardo-silva-release-clause\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Manchester City<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0in the Premier League in the worst possible way &#8211; by losing to Lens in the Champions League and possibly losing Bukayo Saka for the match in the process. Nevertheless, after 12 straight league defeats to the Citizens, it is unlikely that even a damaging loss in Europe and the potential absence of their best player will do much to damage the North London club&#8217;s confidence because that confidence cannot have been very high in the first place.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">[metabet_core_game_tile query=&#8221;soe\/arsenal&#8221; size=&#8221;350&#215;350&#8243; style=&#8221;fraction&#8221; site_id=&#8221;lastwordonsports&#8221;]<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">How Arsenal Can Make It Lucky 13 Against City<\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Poor Precedent for Arsenal<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It is worth reflecting for a moment on how awful Arsenal\u2019s recent Premier League record is against Manchester City. Twelve successive losses in the league, which is by far the worst record against any one club in the club&#8217;s entire history, means six consecutive seasons of home and away defeats, a record that stretches so far back that it extends to Arsene Wenger\u2019s time in charge of the Gunners. In all that time, there has not even been a league draw between the two sides, with City being dominant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/10\/02\/arsenal-pedro-neto-transfer-links-discussed\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fabrizio Romano Clarifies Arsenal Links to \u2018Incredible\u2019 Star<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">It is true that Arsenal have beaten City in that period, twice in FA Cup semi-finals (in 2017 and 2020), and once in the Community Shield this summer. The celebration police, who often target the Gunners, condemned what they regarded as their excessive celebrations after beating City on penalties in what is really a pre-season game. However, given that most of Mikel Arteta&#8217;s players have never experienced any kind of victory over the champions and treble winners, perhaps they should be cut a little slack.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Now, however, they face a game against City that is of the utmost seriousness: a home game this weekend in the Premier League. Victory would not only take them above the Manchester club in the league table. It would also give them the belief they can challenge and even overtake their opponents in the race to the league title.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Watch<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">: Last Word on Football analyse Arsenal this season.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ARTETA ARISES - Analysing Arsenal with Hugo Jennings\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/2cJR1dHr7F8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Five Ways In Which Arsenal Can Beat City<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>\u00a01. Pick the Right Goalkeeper<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Much has been made of Mikel Arteta\u2019s decision to secure David Raya from\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/08\/24\/brentford-bid-nicolas-gonzalez-transfer\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Brentford<\/span><\/a><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">. It has even been said that the Spaniard is attempting to introduce the one tactical development that Pep Guardiola has not tried so far, namely having two first-choice goalkeepers who can compete against each other and possibly replace each other in the same game. However, it is also possible that Arteta has needlessly created a problem for himself and his team by generating uncertainty about who exactly is the better goalkeeper out of Raya and Aaron Ramsdale.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/10\/01\/ben-white-new-contract-arsenal\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Arsenal Now Look To Secure New Deal for 120K per Week Emirates Star<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">After a mistake by Raya led to the Lens equaliser in midweek, which is the second error leading to a goal that the Spaniard has made following his failure to collect a cross against Spurs, it is surely only logical that the Gunners boss replaces him for the City match with Ramsdale. The England goalkeeper had done little or nothing to deserve being dropped in the first place. However, if Arteta persists with Raya despite his recent mistakes, it will surely prove beyond doubt that all the talk of having two first-choice keepers is just a smokescreen and that the Spanish goalkeeper is definitely his first choice, regardless of how well he plays.<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">2. Encourage Zinchenko to Stay at Home in Defence<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">One tactical development that Arteta has undeniably copied from Guardiola is to encourage his full-backs to venture forward into midfield when the team is on the attack. However, the results so far this season have been mixed. First, there was the tactical disaster of playing Thomas Partey at right-back, a position that the hulking and relatively immobile central midfielder was unsuited to. Then, against Lens, Zinchenko was caught out &#8211; and the French side exploited his absence in defence to score their winning goal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/09\/28\/arsenal-victor-osimhen-ivan-toney-ollie-watkins-links\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Arsenal Linked With \u00a3104 Million Star Amidst Others as Mikel Arteta Begins Search for \u2018Missing Piece\u2019<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Zinchenko is, by inclination, a midfielder; that is the position he plays for his national side, Ukraine, and what allows him to slide so effortlessly into midfield from defence. However, Arteta must remind him that his primary responsibility to the team is as a defender. The Emirates manager could cite the example of Ben White, who has developed into a superb attacking full-back despite spending most of his career in central defence, as the best possible example for Zinchenko to learn from.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">3. Power up the Midfield\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Kai Havertz continues to be the elephant in the room. He is an undeniably talented player, but ever since the Gunners first expressed an interest in signing him, it has not been clear where and how he fits into the team. He is not physically strong enough, or a good enough tackler, to play in central midfield, which he is nominally supposed to do after replacing Granit Xhaka, but nor is he a good enough attacking midfielder or No.10.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Read More<\/span><\/strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"editor-rtfLink\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2023\/09\/25\/arsenal-aaron-hickey-transfer-links-clarified\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\"><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Fabrizio Romano Drops Update on Arsenal\u2019s Interest in \u2018Amazing\u2019 Premier League Star<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Right now, the best option for the German and the whole team is to take him out of the firing line, or at least the direct firing line of central midfield, where so many games are won or lost. In the absence through <a href=\"https:\/\/www.football.london\/arsenal-fc\/news\/breaking-arsenal-man-city-rodri-27774698#\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">suspension of Rodri<\/a>, who has become City\u2019s most important player over the last year, Arteta must be tempted to double down and power up in that area by pairing Declan Rice with Thomas Partey for the first time. Rodri\u2019s possible replacements, Matheus Nunes or the nearly forgotten-about Kalvin Phillips, are not in his class, and a combination of Rice and Partey could physically dominate the middle of the park. And if Arteta is still intent on using the German international, he can play him where he is best utilised, in attack, and possibly on the right-hand side if Saka is injured.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">4. Take Their Chances<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">This is the single biggest and simplest thing that Arsenal have to do. Already this season, against both Tottenham and Lens, they have failed to score the second and killer goal when they have been in the lead and have ultimately paid the price for that deficiency. The suspicion remains that if Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah could somehow be combined in one player \u2013 grafting Jesus\u2019s all-round play onto Nketiah\u2019s superior finishing \u2013 the Gunners would have the natural goal-scorer they so desperately need.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Jesus and Nketiah must absolutely focus on finishing their chances. Against City and their formidable defence &#8211; they are unlikely to get many of them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">5. In the Immortal Words of Daft Punk: Get Lucky<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">Obviously, Arsenal cannot actually plan to get lucky, such as benefiting from a rare City error or own goal. But if they enjoy such good fortune, they must make the most of it. And if victory against the Cityzens is impossible, they should happily settle for a draw to snap this long and miserable losing streak.\u00a0<\/span><strong><span data-preserver-spaces=\"true\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Arsenal\u00a0began their preparations for meeting\u00a0Manchester City\u00a0in the Premier League in the worst possible way &#8211; by losing to Lens in the Champions League and possibly losing Bukayo Saka for the match in the process. Nevertheless, after 12 straight league defeats to the Citizens, it is unlikely that even a damaging loss in Europe and the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":993,"featured_media":629626,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,8,17],"tags":[1422,3380,4372],"class_list":["post-630422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-premier-league","category-arsenal","category-manchester-city","tag-arsenal-history","tag-kai-havertz","tag-mikel-arteta"],"modified_by":"Ricky Carroll, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/993"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630422"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630422\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/629626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}