City rediscover quality they've missed
Pep Guardiola challenged his Manchester City players before taking on Arsenal to show they wanted to win the Premier League title. He said to lose the title to a better team is fine, but he insisted that his side must show fight. He's asked a lot of City mentally, and at Arsenal they rediscovered a very useful trait of true champions.
Whether it was Ederson taking too long over goal kicks, or Kyle Walker getting a booking for kicking the ball away, City embraced their role as villains in Arsenal's title quest. The whole City team surrounded the referee when Arsenal were given a penalty, and there were plenty of late kicks and examples of gamesmanship from the Blues on a feisty night. Everyone knows City are unstoppable when at their best. At the Emirates they showed they're ready to fight dirty if the occasion demands it. They answered Guardiola's cries with their off-the-ball antics as much as their quality on it.
Grealish is City's new big-game player
Remember when Jack Grealish wasn't scoring enough goals? With his pivotal goal at Arsenal to put City ahead for the second time, Grealish added to his derby goal at United (not to mention his clever assist at Chelsea) and his celebration was one of a man with a point to prove. His recent performances have shown why goals and assists barely scratch the surface of what he brings to this City team.
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From the start, Grealish was assured in possession, probed at the right times, and silenced one of his main criticisms with his goal - that he's too unselfish. Nobody was stopping him from shooting after Ilkay Gundogan's smart lay-off, and this was a reminder that Grealish is suddenly City's go-to option on the wing for the big games. As City reflect on how they have clawed back eight points to return to the top of the Premier League, Grealish's role shouldn't be underestimated.
Lucky Ederson
Ederson is often central to City's play, although it's rare he's tasked with the traditional goalkeeper role of sending the ball long from goal kicks. The Brazilian used the opportunity to play direct to waste time in the first half, infuriating the Arsenal crowd and eventually earning a booking after three-goal kicks that he took too long to take.
So when Ederson was penalised in the box for following through on Eddie Nketiah when he came to block a shot, he may have feared that he would be replaced. Luckily for him, Anthony Taylor kept his red card in his pocket, and despite Ederson's best mind-games to try and put Bukayo Saka off, the Arsenal number seven sent him the wrong way to equalise. Still, Ederson's mischievous mood set the tone for a proper title battle.
Ake's unseen moment of glory
When Ederson clattered into Nketiah for the penalty, he instantly erased a potential season-defining moment. Back in 2019, it was John Stones' goalline clearance against Liverpool, and it was Nathan Ake last season at Arsenal. Rodri's heroic block at Anfield last year also falls under the category of sliding blocks or goalline clearances that go on to have a direct impact on a City title win. Not this time, as Ederson was penalised seconds after Ake produced another brilliant clearance from Nketiah's shot.
With Arsenal pressing, Ake was everywhere, and throwing himself in front of everything in his own box - typified by his latest goalline clearance. Unfortunately for him, nobody will remember this latest contribution, although his all-round performance justified his return to the starting line up and underlined his status as one of City's best, and most reliable performers this season.
Guardiola's first-choice attack
In 2018/19 it was Sane-Aguero-Sterling, but under Pep Guardiola, City rarely have a set front three in favour of rotation to keep the squad happy and the opposition guessing. With Sterling departing this season, though, there are fewer players competing for the front three positions, and Phil Foden's fall from favour means there is no competition for Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez on the wings, and this was their sixth consecutive league start in a trio with Erling Haaland.
Where Guardiola has previously favoured rotation, he clearly prefers consistency at present. Grealish has added tactical awareness to his game - plus another big goal - while Mahrez is also scoring regularly, and Haaland is Haaland. On the other hand, how does Phil Foden get back into the side, with this his sixth game without a start due to injury issues. Since his derby hat-trick in October, Foden has started just five Premier League games, and averages only 42 minutes per appearance in his inconsistent 11 outings out of City's last 15 since the peak of his City career against United.
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