Pep Guardiola’s long-awaited inauguration amongst England’s silverware bearers finally reached completion yesterday. Manchester City eased to a three-goal cup final win at Wembley on Sunday, (25/02/18) at the expense of a beleaguered Arsenal side.
Manchester City came into the game in imperious form and thus as strong favourites, with Arsenal hoping their recent impressive records in finals – namely the FA cup – would continue.
The final started in typical fashion with both sides furiously getting about the field with chances at a premium. Manchester City, who began to slowly impose their possession-based stylistic combination football on Arsenal bore fruit eventually. However, the first goal encapsulated an altogether different style of play one which a Guardiola side is not usually averse to.
In the 18th minute Claudio Bravo, – the usurped number one – punted a long ball down the field towards prolific striker Sergio Aguero who had found himself in between the Arsenal centre-halves. As the ball perilously fell from the sky Aguero – with one eye on Shkodran Mustafi and one on the ball – eased the German defender out the way. As Mustafi bemoaned a foul, Aguero latched onto to the bobbling ball and guided a delightful chip over Colombian international David Ospina. The writing it seemed was on the wall.
Arsenal tried to recover from the sucker punch they had been dealt, with Winter window signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang missing a tap-in when it seemed Arsenal would be set to go ahead. It was as good as it got for Aubameyang and Arsenal with the striker a peripheral figure throughout & not helped by the lack of service from his wanting team-mates.
The midfield three of Granit Xhaka, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey lacked cohesion and the attacking nous to trouble city who consistently picked them apart. In contrast, Ilkay Gundogan, the imperious David Silva & Fernandinho – later replaced by Bernardo Silva after being injured – teased and penetrated the gaps in midfield which grew larger as the game wore on.
Vincent Kompany, the returning City captain who has endured a tumultuous period in recent years began to come into his own. He consistently marauded into the Arsenal half and you would be forgiven for thinking the Belgian was being deployed as a central midfielder. It was the skipper who made it two shortly after the break guiding a team-mates strike on goal into the back of the net. The explosion of joy and ecstasy was palpable and signalled a new beginning for Kompany and his charges. That was in the 58th minute and despite the score not unassailable the gunners were winded.
After that, it was wave after wave of City attacks with intermittent Arsenal attacks in coming after occasional lulls in City’s attacks. The game would be well & truly over, however, less than ten minutes after Kompany had made it two. David Silva, the Spanish magician received the ball on the turn on the edge of the box in the 65th minute, rolling Callum Chambers with frightening ease and rifling a strike into the bottom corner. The champagne football had finally come to the fore and City were now in danger of embarrassing Arsenal in a major cup final. Whilst City’s football was masterful, Arsenal’s was infantry.
Gary Neville who was on commentary duty was withering in his assessment labelling Arsenal a ‘disgrace’ & ‘spineless’. With an hour to go the travelling Arsenal fans left in their droves and the overriding feeling was for the final whistle to arrive abruptly.
The final whistle finally arrived and with it the first of many trophies for Pep and Manchester City this season. The wheels on the Manchester City dynasty were now in full motion.
Arsenal was left to bemoan another lackadaisical display with a sharp sense of regret. They now must surely place all their eggs in the Europa League basket. Only time will tell if they are able to use the bitter taste of defeat here to spur them on to victory.
