Reality Check

Well, then... that was tough to take. And there's plenty to unpick - both positive and negative.

Let's start with the team news. And to the surprise of nobody at all, Erling Haaland was fit to play. However, the news that had started breaking at lunchtime about Thomas Partey was deeply concerning - Arsenal are a considerably lesser team without him than with - and the Ghanaian duly missed out with what I understand is a 'minor' hamstring issue (I should mention at this point that, having been handed this news, I don't think that I'd been nervier before a game of football since the Champions League Final of 2006...).

But there's no way that we can pin any blame on the performance or result on Jorginho. He did exactly what it says on his tin. Received the ball from the back line, played it simple - mostly forwards, and at a high completion rate - and had his fair share of interceptions too. He lacks physicality compared to Partey, of course. Plus perhaps the speed of mind and body against this type of opposition to really hurt them. But he really wasn't the problem. And I would add this; his acquisition is a smart piece of business - the alternative had he not been signed, Sambi Lokonga, would surely have been eaten alive!

In all this analysis, we have to bear in mind that Arsenal were up against probably the best club side in the world. Very early in their development, the youngest in the Premier League, and up against a team that's now over a dozen years in its (financially doped) construction. It's remarkable that we're up alongside them, frankly. 

But... Arsenal's sparse squad is being stretched, City's is large, and deep. It's a real shame that Arteta couldn't have put out his best XI against them. The loss of Partey was obviously important, but I think that we're really starting to feel the loss of Jesus more and more with each passing game. Hopefully he'll be back in 3-4 weeks. Arsenal need to hang on to City's coat tails in the interim.

In the rarefied atmosphere of a battle such as this, everybody need to be at or close to their best. But unfortunately not enough were. Nketiah - Jesus' replacement - missed maybe three more than presentable chances. The sort of chances that need to be taken (not that I'm suggesting that Jesus would have taken them, but he offers more elsewhere than Eddie; not least the ability to drag his team-mates into battle from the front). To be fair to Eddie, he did win Arsenal's penalty - and it's one of those that you're annoyed to concede on the defensive side, but would be equally annoyed not to be awarded it if you're attacking. The goalkeeper's come out, failed to get to the ball, and has brought down his man. On balance... soft, but yes - that's a penalty. And he'd already been booked - did 'double jeopardy' save him from the walk of shame?

Elsewhere Tomiyasu - in for Ben White - frankly looked a bit rusty. All part of the downside of Arteta picking the same XI week after week after week; and also making few (and late) substitutions. It was a risk to bring somebody in cold to Manchester City, of all opponents, and it was his mistake that led to City's opener. Not that I'm taking anything away from De Bruyne, by the way. His finish was exquisite. And I'll also chuck into the mix that Gabriel failed to recognise the danger posed by the Belgian as he let him run away from him. Poor judgment. 

I'm of the opinion that the Japanese's natural two-footedness was part of the reason he was selected, bearing in mind Grealish's penchant to cut inside a lot of the time. But the plan failed in the end. Unfortunately for Tomi, Grealish's shot to make it 2-1, which I believe that Ramsdale would probably have saved comfortably, took a slight nick off of him to give the keeper no chance. Insult to injury.

Frankly, lack of composure cost Arsenal. I'd been scratching my head at Guardiola's choice of Bernardo Silva at left-back - the Portuguese was booked for possibly his fourth yellow card offence on Starboy and could quite easily have been sent off - but Pep rectified this after an hour. By which time it was 2-1, of course. But elsewhere on the field Gabriel's penchant for clumsiness meant that the ball was conceded for the second goal, Zinchenko was surprisingly inconsistent on the ball, Martin Odegaard yet again was nothing like involved enough, and Granit Xhaka's shortcomings at the highest level were once again exposed. Forced to play in a slightly deeper role with Partey missing, the Swiss looked a little ponderous and indecisive. We're due an upgrade there for next season.

Here's a moment that, had Xhaka made his mind up quicker, could have changed the momentum of the game:

As I have mentioned, I thought that Jorginho had a solid enough game. Also that Saliba coped manfully with the threat of the freakish Haaland. My goodness, he's a sight to behold; tall, broad, a really commanding presence but additionally lightning fast. But Saliba coped, and Haaland had considerably more success when he started to pull onto Gabriel instead. For the third and decisive goal Trossard lost the ball wide on the left near the half way line, and 10 seconds later Haaland - working on Gabriel by this time -  had the ball in the net. Game over.

I'm also offering no criticism of Bukayo Saka. He had Bernardo Silva on toast - ref Taylor was unaccountably soft on the latter, but how many times have we said that Starboy isn't offered sufficient protection? And he took his penalty so coolly under tremendous pressure - whatever mind games Ederson was trying on him failed miserably. Things got more difficult later on when he was forced to face up to Ake instead of Bernardo, but I frankly won't have a word said against him. I love that boy.

This is something that only Arsenal get in trouble for by the way...

There'll be changes for Saturday, I'm sure. Surely White will come back in at right back - unless Arteta opts to give Saliba a break - and perhaps we'll see Tierney at left back. That may be a shame for Martinelli, who could do with help on the left - again left isolated by the pattern of play in this match - but I suspect that Trossard will get his start. We may see Nketiah rested. And I'm expecting to see Vieira get a start soon too. The fact is that Arteta can't expect to get away with playing the same starting XI again and again. Especially with the Villa game kicking off just 65 hours after the City game ended.

What Arsenal really need now is for Partey, Jesus and forgotten man Emil Smith Rowe to be fit and ready for battle. It's crucial that Arteta has more options.

A few other things in summary: 

• City took this game very seriously. It was a right battle, and the fact that they were actually looking to time waste from early on shocked me. Despite that, I felt that Arsenal looked a little overawed early on, and it took City taking the lead to unleash the shackles; whereupon Arsenal were the better side for quite a while
• A single shot on target - the penalty - is a totally inadequate return. Especially with the dominance that 64% possession, 524 passes to 303 and at a higher pass completion rate, ought to have presented. And this is against Manchester City, remember!
• Part of Arsenal's identity is passing out from the back. We saw plenty of teething problems last season and the season before, but it's been much more effective in helping to evade the press and get the side onto the front foot this season. Unfortunately, it went wrong a few times in this game. And twice it was punished in the cruellest manner. The fact of the matter is that City took their chances, and Arsenal did not. That, one might easily say, is why you can't expect to win the league with a lean squad, and Eddie Nketiah leading the line
• However, it's by no means over. A game in hand means that matters remain in Arsenal's hands. City will be stretched by FA Cup and Champions League in the weeks ahead. And it remains to be seen how Arteta approaches the Europa League at this point. He has bigger fish to fry, perhaps?

Keep the faith. The next game is the most important. 

COYG!