Some things never change. Arsenal scored two excellent goals, was the better side for long spells, reducing Manchester City at times to strings of niggling fouls but it ended up clinging on for a point, undone, by basic defensive errors and a lack of edge. It paid, as so often before, for a lack of streetwiseness. City made the journey back north probably relieved to have rescued a point, but after the defeat to Stoke City a fortnight ago, this was anther indifferent display, and there is suddenly real pressure on next Sunday’s home game against Chelsea.
It wasn’t quite like the Community Shield in that there was an urgency to City’s pressing at times that threatened to catch Arsenal out, but Arsene Wenger’s side dominated in midfield in the early stages, in part through weight of numbers. This, of course, is the deWenger master-plan: have sufficient neat, technical, mobile players that they can operate as a swarm, overmanning everywhere on the pitch where the ball is.
It works so long as Arsenal have the ball; without it, of course it risks the lack of structure that so afflcited the side in away games against its four closest rivals last season, matches in which it leaked a total of 20 goals. At home, it was a different story, with Arsenal unbeaten in the league since the opening day of last season. That has bred and poise and a confidence and it started by far the better.
City, without Yaya Toure and Fernando because of injury, struggled to get a foothold, Frank Lampard, on his first start for City, seemingly struggling to cope with the pace of the game. His booking, for a late foul on Jack Wilshere, was thoroughly predictable, as was his removal at half-time.
Danny Welbeck, making his debut after his £16million move from Manchester United, was a persistent menace, his movement always threatening to create an opening for once of the deft passers behind him. His first clear chance, though, came from a pass from City’s deftest passers, David Silva making an uncharacteristic mistake that present him with a chance after 12 minutes. He ran into the box, and looked to have done everything right, calmly chipping the ball over Joe Hart, only for his effort to come back off the base of the post.
There were backheels, flurries of passes, a real swagger about Arsenal, which is, of course, when it is at its most vulnerable. With 28 minutes played, Sergio Aguero challenged for a ball on halfway. It popped loose and was kept in play by Jesus Navas, who accelerated away from Nacho Monreal. Aguero, meanwhile, was allowed to run free as Mathieu Flamini, seemingly surprised that Navas had kept the ball in play, appealed for a throw-in. Navas timed his square ball perfectly and Aguero swept past Wojcich Szczesny. Three minutes later, it took a fine save by the goalkeeper with his leg to deny David Silva after Pablo Zabaleta had found space in Monreal’s zone to cut the ball back. It was all very typical, the pudding consistently overegged.
Arsenal passed too much, and City fouled too much. This was a masterclass in tactical fouling and, for a long time, it frustrated Arsenal. Mesut Ozil, in particular, had one of those afternoons when he drifted like some ghost-ship on the flank. Eventually, though, 20 minutes in to the second half, the equalizer arrived.
Wilshere had fizzed about in a haze of anger for much of the game, looking perpetually on the verge of exploding without ever quite doing so. He was, though, not merely the scorer of the leveller, but also its instigator, his challenge winning possession for Alexis Sanchez, who played the ball forward quickly for Aaron Ramsey. He laid it off and Wilshere finished with a calm chip – a nerveless finish for somebody who had previously scored only four league goals for the club.
Perhaps no team in the Premier League is quite as moody as Arsenal. Reinvigorated, it came again, and went ahead after 74 minutes as Flamini headed a clearance back into the box for Alexis Sanchez to score with a brilliantly controlled waist-high volley.
Was this the day that Arsenal produced the sort of result, having been behind, that might inspire a real run at the title? Or was this more to do with City’s flatness. In the end, it was neither. It was just more of the same. Mathieu Debuchy turned his ankle under no pressure – a horrible injury, and had to be given oxygen as he was stretchered off – and Arsenal, seemingly distracted, switched off. Nobody was picking up Martin Demichelis as he headed in a corner, and it could have ben even worse as Laurent Koscielny hit his own post in injury-time.
It was a thrilling game, gripping to the last, and Arsenal should have won. But it didn’t, let down by familiar failings. Nothing has really changed.
Wenger was disappointed that defensive frailties had let his side down in the final analysis.
He said: "We produced a game of top quality played at tremendous pace. In the end we were unlucky to be 1-0 down. We did something remarkable to come back and be in a winning position. What is frustrating for me is the way we conceded the second goal. We could have lost after."
"We conceded two goals and we are an offensive team. We go forward a lot, but yes, defense is where we can improve."
The Gunners boss expects to be without France defender Debuchy for a while with the injury that ended his afternoon ten minutes from time.
Wenger added: "Debuchy has a badly sprained ankle, it doesn’t look too good."
The Frenchman also expects more to come from Wilshere, whose superb finish put the Gunners 2-1 up, and debutant Danny Welbeck.
"Wilshere is coming back physically to his level, where he can be," Wenger said. "Unfortunately it takes time to find that little fraction of a second that’s so important in the modern game. It looked like today he found it consistently for the 90 minutes for the first time.
"Welbeck did well. He needs to improve his link play with our players but that is normal."
However, Wenger was not impressed by City's rough tactics during a game which saw four City players cautioned.
He added: "They stopped us breaking with systematic fouling. Even if the foul was given it was maybe a little late with the yellow cards. I don’t think it was a vicious game; it was a committed game."
Opposite number Manuel Pellegrini was thrilled to gain a point at the Emirates but felt that both of the home side's goals should not have stood.
He said: "We are very satisfied with a point. It’s always very difficult to play here. Arsenal is a very good team, very good players. It’s a good point when they score two good goals, but the first goal was a clear foul on Aguero and second was a clear push by Welbeck on Kompany as he cleared the ball.
"And we should have had a penalty for two handballs by Wilshere. It was not as clear as Skrtel last year but it was clear [when Martin Skrtel punched the ball clear for Liverpool v City, when Mark Clattenburg was again the referee].
"The referee had a very bad day against Liverpool last year and again today. Arsenal scored both goals with fouls. I’m very happy for our team’s players. We had the character to go for a draw. On a normal day we have to win this game."
Pellegrini also explained that he subsituted Aguero, who had already been booked, because he feared he would be sent off. However, Pellegrini's decision to take off Lampard at half-time was more down to a lack of fitness.
He said: "Frank Lampard had a yellow card and had played 45 minutes of high intensity after four months without playing. Sergio was very angry."
