By Boris Mellor
January 8 2005

Arsene Wenger said after the match that the team was “unbalanced”. By that he meant the number of young players he fielded. It was clearly not from choice that he picked so many, rather it was the depletion of the squad that was the major cause.

 

 None of the youngsters let us down against  a very combative Manchester City side, but give a team like City an early goal and you will have a hard time getting back into the match – and so it proved.

 

Arsenal could have gone ahead quite early on when Henry gave an excellent pass to van Persie, but the Dutchman’s shot was too weak to beat James. In the match preview Arsenal Times argued that Vieira should organise and shield the defence. There was little evidence of the former from my Clock End seat, and if you are going to pass the ball to an opposition forward, 30 yards out, its best to check it is not Shaun Wright Phillips. He took the pass with gratitude and hit an absolute belter that left Almunia with no chance at all.

 

The minute that happened we knew we were in a serious match, City now played like it was a cup-tie, and the problem of balance now seemed, not just of age, but physical strength. I could not help thinking we looked lightweight (I stress physically) against the robust Man City team. Man City had probably shaded the first half with about five shots apiece, but with one of theirs on target.

 

Arsenal played with more determination in the second half and put the City goal under siege. Most of the game was now in City’s half but the ball would not go in the net. For a while it seemed that a combination of James’ goalkeeping, and the woodwork, would see City end Arsenal’s undefeated home record. Bergkamp was sorely missed as the Gunners became more and more frenetic. Pennant was substituted for the tiring Fabregas, and he had an immediate effect as Arsenal increased the tempo and became more direct.

 

 In the end it was a sublime overhead cross from Henry that gave Ljunberg a simple header to level the score. Once again Arsenal laid siege to the City goal but it was not to be the Gunners’ night. 

 

Arsenal have won 10 points out of 12 over the holiday period; clearly the depletion of the squad had been the prime reason for this not being 12. However, I do wish Vieira would stop giving assists to the opposition in the final third. In one sloppy moment a lot of the good work at Charlton had been undone.