Na$ri was suffocated by the Frimpong.
Arsene Wenger’s young squad stood toe-to-toe against a very strong (and expensive) Manchester City side. Despite the defeat, there are so many positives to take out of this match from an Arsenal perspective.
Usually, I’m not this positive after an Arsenal defeat. It’s because our weakened starting eleven outplayed City’s high-priced stars for a majority of the match. If not for a quick City counter-attack late in the game, we could have easily beaten a team that consisted of Dzeko, Na$ri, and Aguero for most of the match.
Speaking of Samir, he failed to do much of anything in the game. The crowd at the Emirates loudly booed anytime Na$ri came close to touching the ball, which was not that often in the second half. In the first half, Mancini lined up Aguero to come on as substitution for Kolarov, but Na$ri thought he was the one who supposed to exit. The spirit of a player needs to be questioned when he is so willing to leave in the game in the 32nd minute. Though, it is possible that Na$ri simply saw a coin under the bench.
Emmanuel Frimpong was a standout performer in the midfield. He roamed the middle of the pitch, and harassed City players as soon as they received the ball. No breathing space was granted by the Frimpong. He even saved his usual hostility until after the final whistle, when he was involved in a bust-up with Na$ri. This has to represent an increase in discipline from the Frimpong, and the quarrel has elevated him to legendary status among Gooners.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was outstanding on Tuesday night. The 18-year old winger created many of our chances, including a long strike that demanded an acrobatic save from Manchester City keeper Costil Pantilimon. The Ox is effective at using either foot, which is an valuble trait to have in modern football. He can cut inside for a shot, or drive down the wing to send in a looping cross.
Arsene Wenger on Chamberlain at his post-match press conference (Arsenal.com):
“We lacked a little bit of experience to be more decisive in the final third but Chamberlain looked the whole night like he could deliver something special. He has shown already tonight that he has moved forward, considering where he was in the last two months. He has improved a lot already.”
Another player who will soon be pushing for a first-team spot is Francis Coquelin. His partnership in the middle with Frimpong stifled many of City’s attacks. While still able to make the tough tackle, Coquelin is a more refined than Frimpong in an attacking sense. Maybe this has to do with his Frenchness. Anyway, Coquelin made several neat turns to pass defenders, and he has the intelligence to know where and when the next pass needs to be made.
Several of the older players also chipped in with admirable performance. Laurent Koscielny registered another excellent performance. Rather shockingly, Squillaci was solid at the back. In fact, even more than solid, he was very good. Sebastien has drawn harsh criticism from this blogger before, but he deserves praise for his play on Tuesday night.
Going back to the Frimpong-Na$ri rumoured scuffle, it is really a Heavyweight Gooner against a Bantamweight mercenary. The whole incident started when Frimpong removed his shirt to reveal a “DENCH” shirt and walked towards Na$ri. Words were exchanged on the field, which led to rumours about Na$ri throwing a punch in the tunnel. An Arsenal representative (not Wenger) saw what happened and said at the post-match press conference (Mirror):
“No punches were thrown but there was a lot of noise. Samir was speaking in French but they did not touch. It was handbags.”
Something tells me that this won’t be the last altercation involving the Frimpong.
There were many positives to take from this game, but we must move on to the negative aspects. This match illustrated our dire need for another striker. As Chamakh missed a good cross very late in the match, the camera panned over to van Persie who looked very frustrated in his sharp leather jacket. Wenger implemented a 4-4-2 on Tuesday night, which would have worked perfectly had Park and Chamakh not been terribly disappointing.
The only goal of the game came off of a swift City counter-attack as Arsenal were recovering from a corner. Dzeko’s long ball split the defence. Adam Johnson laid a perfect ball for Aguero to run on to, and the Argentinan striker does not miss a chance that easy. To be fair, it was a brilliant attacking move from City, though it was the only time in the match that our back four were exposed.
Before the match, the fear was that Manchester City would thump us with the players they started. Thankfully,our young players stepped up and refused to be intimidated by the experienced internationals. Elimination from the Carling Cup will mean less playing time for the fringe players, but it will also lead to more concentration on the League and Champions League campaigns. Most importantly, there should be no drop in the confidence of the squad as a result of this match.
