Arsenal 0-0 Manchester City: Yawn!

by Rachid



Football games don't get anymore boring than what we saw yesterday. Talk about a cure for insomnia! This blog entry will most likely be a short one since there was not much happening in the match to report on. This was arguably our most uneventful match this season.



The first item of note in the match took place 23 minutes in when Vincent Kompany hacked down Theo Walcott on the right hand side in a challenge for the ball which saw Walcott left in a heap for the physios to attend to. Shay Given had his first save of the game to make 16 minutes later when Robin van Persie played in Samir Nasri who took a shot and Given parried it behind for a corner. That was all there really was to the first half. Yawn!



Not much happened in the second half of note either except in the 52nd minute Paddy Vieira was subbed off for Emmanuel Adebayor and it was a little funny to hear a loud applause and cheer for the former Arsenal skipper turn to resounding boos and whistles for the former Arsenal crybaby.



Given's second save of note came from Abou Diaby's shot from about 23 yards out from goal in the 69th minute. He had to dive to his left to make the save and landed badly on his left shoulder and unfortunately dislocated it. The injury means he's out for their remaining 3 games of the season. Credit must be given to the Arsenal fans who applauded him for his efforts while being stretchered away for medical attention.



Before the game, I expected Lukasz Fabianski to make another customary game costing howler but surprisingly it wasn't the case. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised as Man City didn't seem to care to play either and it's really no question why he didn't have much to do. The only real save of note I can remember from him came in the 86th minute off a shot outside the area from Craig Bellamy. Thankfully that's all he had to deal with and I don't have to be sitting here right now textually tearing him apart.



We laid an egg at the DW Stadium a week ago and needed a big performance yesterday and they didn't deliver it. A win yesterday would've secured 3rd for us and automatic qualification for the group stages of next season's Champions League but we decided to drag it out some more. It's the Arsenal way. No one really seemed to care to win yesterday. They all seemed as though they were just going through the motions. Since it's now a foregone conclusion that we won't win the title perhaps our players have switched off and have decided to just coast through the rest of the season. If that's the case then maybe it's now time for Arsene Wenger to start blooding some of the younger, hungrier talent in the team to get them ready for next season. I'm not saying throw them all in at once but we could definitely introduce a couple names here and there. They'll no doubt be up for it as the season's drawing to a close and they'll want to grab Wenger's attention in order to be considered for a first team role next season. Anyway, whatever. I really couldn't care any less today.



This is the part of the blog where I'd normally do a player rating but why bother? The Arsenal players couldn't give a rat's ass about getting a win yesterday so I can't give a rat's ass about giving them each a rating today.



Team rating: 5/10

Entertainment value rating: 3/10 - I might as well have watched paint dry.



And that's that for today. Talk to you again some other time. Dust!