A goal from Spaniard Rodri Hernández in added time gave Manchester City the eleventh victory in a row at the Emirates Stadium against Arsenal (1-2), which was superior to Pep Guardiola’s team until he was left with ten players due to the expulsion of the Brazilian Gabriel.
The red that the South American central defender saw for a double yellow conditioned the match and spoiled the work of his team, impeccable for an hour of play.
Rodri’s goal accelerates the pace of Manchester City, which accumulates eleven consecutive victories and brings the distance in the table with its pursuer, Chelsea to eleven and slows the growth of Arsenal backed by its four consecutive games won that had placed it in Champions League zone.
The first clash of the year 2022 in the Premier was crazy. With an hour of local superiority and the remaining average uneven for the visitors who accentuated their drive as soon as they were in superiority.
It is not usual to leave Pep Guardiola’s team, solid leaders, without arguments. But it was dismantled by a daring Arsenal, led on this occasion by the Dutchman Albert Stuivenberg who took the usual place of Mikel Arteta, confined by the covid.
The daring approach of the London team subjected Pep Guardiola’s painting from the beginning. Unable to overcome the high pressure, Manchester City were exposed time and time again.
Arsenal, superior, circled the visiting area again and again. Led by the Norwegian Martin Odegaard and led by Kieran Tierney who found a vein on the left wing, the ‘Gunners’ cornered their rival.
The award was found by the London team within half an hour. A steal from Kevin De Bruyne caused a collective transition. The ball reached Tierney’s feet, who sent it into the area where Bukayo Saka, first, executed a low shot, hitting the left post, which surpassed goalkeeper Ederson.
The rest was good for Pep Guardiola’s team because despite the goal, Arsenal’s intensity and precision did not wane.
But the shock took a turn in the first minutes of the second half when a grab inside the area of the Swiss Granit Xhaka to Bernardo Silva and that went unnoticed by the referee, was detected by the VAR. The judge of the match went to the monitor and signaled a penalty.
The Algerian Riyad Mahrez did not miss from eleven meters and equalized the game.
The shock stirred from that moment. A minute later, Arsenal were able to take the lead again thanks to an indecision between the Spanish defender Aymeric Laporte and the goalkeeper Ederson who carried the ball towards the back of the goal. But the Dutchman Nathan Ake reacted and avoided the local goal at the goal line.
However, an unnecessary foul by Gabriel to Gabriel Jesús in midfield cost him the second yellow card and his expulsion. Arsenal were left with ten.
Everything changed. Manchester City for the first time took the initiative and cornered the London team covered only in some play, punctual, on the counterattack.
Thus, in added time and when the clash looked like a tie, a ball sent to the area by Belgian Kevin De Bruyne ended in a hubbub that Rodri took advantage of to stick his leg out, shoot, and overtake Aaron Ramsdale for joy ‘citizen’ and ‘gunner’ frustration.
Source: Agencies
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