Pot-less Pep failing in his English exam
MANCHESTER DERBY IS A BIG TEST
doing it for 20 years, with varying degrees of success. But after his team’s recent troubles, Wenger showed some intelligence. Maybe a little humility, too.
Here was the back three he introduced against Middlesbrough last Monday and here was a game plan designed to draw City’s sting.
Ultimately, it worked. It may have been different had City not seen a first-half ‘goal’ disallowed by an assistant who felt a cross from Leroy Sane had drifted out of play before curving back on to the pitch. It may have been different had David Silva not left the field injured midway through the opening period.
For a time, Arsenal were chasing the game and if they were never exactly hanging on, it was City who looked the more likely winners. Arsenal were better early in the second period but once Sergio Aguero ran on to Yaya Toure’s lovely pass to give his team the lead, there would not have been many people betting against City reaching the final.
But this is Guardiola’s City. This is not a team that plays with authority or keeps the ball well.
For all the investment in new talent, City relied on a familiar spine yesterday, one that ran through his captain, Vincent Kompany, and on via Toure, Silva and Aguero.
One by one, these men succumbed to injury or fatigue and their replacements — Raheem Sterling, Fabian Delph and Kelechi Iheanacho — proved inadequate.
Guardiola has spoken of educating his players and it remains a work in progress. Nothing comes instinctively and Guardiola’s frantic delivery of instructions at the interval in extra-time seemed to underline this.
Thursday’s meeting with United in east Manchester already has a definitive feel about it.