Arsenal ‘wasted 45 minutes’ as Arteta ‘puts the handbrake on’ against ‘there for the taking’ Man City
Arsenal “wasted 45 minutes” against Manchester City, who “were there for the taking” at the Emirates on Sunday, says Jamie Carragher.
Mikel Arteta’s side rescued a point in Sunday’s Premier League clash when Gabriel Martinelli lobbed Gianluigi Donnarumma in the 93rd minute.
Erling Haaland gave Man City the lead after nine minutes and were pretty comfortable for the rest of the first half before Arteta introduced Ebere Eze and Bukayo Saka for the second 45 minutes.
Arsenal dominated possession as City parked the bus in a very different Pep Guardiola approach to holding on to the lead, but they didn’t create much or really test Donnarumma.
Martinelli’s equaliser came from a pass in behind by fellow substitute Eze, and had both players started the game, it might’ve been a different outcome for the Gunners.
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Arsenal were criticised for their approach after the result, just as they were against Liverpool on matchday three, with ex-Reds defender Carragher blaming Arteta for “thinking more about the opposition” than aiming to go out and beat City with his superior starting XI.
“I think Arsenal are a brilliant team, for me the best squad in the Premier League, and I thought they would not win comfortably, but would win 2-0 against Man City today,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“Arteta has got a team and a squad that are that close to being really, really special in terms of winning a Premier League and maybe even winning a Champions League, I think they are that good.
“But time after time, when it comes to these big games he picks a team that feels like he is thinking more about the opposition and that does not mean you cannot win the Premier League, Jose Mourinho won it three times and he was a little bit like that.”
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Carragher continued, saying that Arteta ‘wasted’ the first half by starting Mikel Merino over Eze, and compared the Arsenal boss to his former managers, Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez, who both failed to win the Premier League in their managerial careers.
“But, for me, that was a waste of 45 minutes [in the first half],” Carra said. “And the reason I am saying that is because I played for managers like that at Liverpool and we were really close and a very top team, but we never won a Premier League.
“I always felt at times under Gerard Houllier and Rafa Benitez, maybe we had the handbrake on in certain games and that is what Arteta is doing.
“Liverpool were there for the taking in that second half at Anfield, Man City were there for the taking at the start of this game and he has allowed them to come into the game.
“It is just a recurring pattern season after season and if you are Arteta and an Arsenal supporter, you just have to hope that does not cost you at the end of the season as they are a brilliant team with a fantastic squad, but the margins are so small.”
Man City sit ninth in the Premier League table after Martinelli’s late equaliser, while Arsenal are second, five points behind champions Liverpool.
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