“He Is a Joke”: Arsenal Enjoying the Haaland Show Ahead of Their Big Clash with Man City đ â˝
LONDON â It wasnât pretty but Arsenalâs resolute 1-0 win away at bitter rivals Tottenham once again proved they have absolutely everything in place to push Manchester City all the way for the Premier League title.
There is now undisputed steel to their silky swagger and their depleted squad stepped up to kick off a massive week.
[ MORE 3 things we learned | Recap, analysis ]
Next up in the Premier League for injury-hit Arsenal is a trip to Manchester City on Sunday in a mouthwatering clash between the title rivals who sit first and second in the table heading into the weekend.
Speaking to reporters after the win at Spurs, captain for the day Jorginho was asked if Arsenalâs players are keeping a close eye on City demolishing teams to start the season and Erling Haaland scoring nine goals from his first four games?
âErling scoring again, it is starting to make us laugh!â Jorginho said, laughing, probably out of respect and a little bit of fear. âWe look [at Cityâs games] because we look at all the games and we love football. We love the Premier League so we watch all the games to be fair. We watch them as well, which is normal. Again it doesnât get to our head. We need to focus on us and that is what we are trying to do.â
Arsenalâs squad players step up, pragmatic Plan B being perfected
With key players missing for the derby win at Spurs — Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino to name four — Arsenal changed their style of play as they accepted they would have less possession and instead launched counters.
Players put their egos aside, sat deep to defend and did all of the dirty things to get a gutsy away win.
Jorginho lauded his teammates for stepping up when so many key players were missing and called for them to keep putting the team first.
âWe know it is a long season and anything can happen,â Jorginho said. âEverybody needs to be ready. That is what we try to do. We are very positive and trust our group and what we are doing. We need to keep on this way.â
Switching up their style of play to be more defensive and pragmatic in certain situations is a blueprint theyâve been developing for some time and perhaps itâs best remembered for their stodgy, ultra-defensive display at Man City last season as they drew 0-0 at the Etihad.
We know Arsenal are capable of tearing your apart with wonderful flowing football but they have now improved in pretty much every aspect of the game and can beat you another way.
Have Arsenal improved since last season?
Is the mental side of the game, to dig in and grind out a result while not being able to play at your free-flowing best, something that Jorginho believes Arsenal have improved since last season?
âI think so. I think the team is working together, going through the process together,â Jorginho explained. âYou learn more about each other. You just get better because everyone wants to improve and wants the best for the team. We you put the team in first place I think just good things can happen.â
Given that Arsenal go to Manchester City two points behind them in the table already (City have started with four wins from four) Jorginho was asked about the mentality of basically having to win every game to stay in touch with the team which has won four-straight Premier League titles.
âYeah, if you want to achieve big things you need to have the mentality of trying to win every single game,â Jorginho said. âThat is what we need to do and that is what we want to do. That is what we are trying to do⌠You need to keep in this way. Keep believing in what you are doing. We are believing in what we are doing and we keep working hard to improve on what we need to improve and keep doing right the things we are doing right. I think we are on the right way and we need to keep it going.â
Arsenal are truly up for the fight
Before their trip to Man City, Arsenalâs stretched squad have the not-so-small matter of heading to dangerous Serie A side Atalanta on Thursday to kick off their Champions League game.
âIt will be a really tough and physical game. They are a very physical team. It is not going to be easy, for sure. A hot atmosphere in Italy. We need to be ready for another battle,â Jorginho said.
For many years we would have questioned if Arsenal were up for the battle. Not anymore.
Pep Guardiola has admitted Manchester City must find a way to get Erling Haaland more involved in their play.
The Norway striker was a peripheral figure in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League derby defeat to Manchester United, having only a couple of half-chances and just 19 touches in the match.
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Guardiola is unlikely to agree with that but he is still working to fully integrate his ÂŁ51m summer signing.
“At the moment we have that process because when teams are sat in their 18-yard box, it is more difficult but we have to find him a little bit more, yes,” Guardiola said.
“(Against United) he had enough touches but it’s true that when you are looking at areas and you have to look at him. But we will do it.”
Does Haaland need to do more?
Gary Neville says he’d love Arsenal to win the Premier League but still thinks the Gunners might just fall short during their title race
Sky Sports’ Gary Neville:
“With City, is Erling Haaland not getting the service, or does he need to do more?
“I’ll ask that question. Does he need to do more, or does he need to be patient?
“If Erling Haaland starts to kick on, if City starts to purr, if the defence starts to shore up a bit more than it has done, and they need Ruben Dias back if they can, I think City will win it.”
Pep: Performances have been consistent
City have struggled for consistency this season, particularly since the World Cup, drawing at home to Everton on New Year’s Day and now suffering back-to-back defeats against Southampton in the Carabao Cup and Man Utd in the league.
But Guardiola said such inconsistencies were not down to the change in system that Haaland’s arrival has enforced.
“I would say the inconsistency was in terms of results but not performances,” he said. “In general, (but) not against Southampton, we were consistent in our games.
“Of course, against Everton we played better, but they had one shot on target and we drew. They punished you when before it didn’t happen, we always found a way to get the results.
“If we play good or bad, we always had that chance. I think this is our strength and we have to improve but in terms of performance, I think we are consistent.”
City took the lead at Old Trafford but crumbled after Bruno Fernandes’ controversial equaliser, allowing Marcus Rashford to score what proved to be the winner only four minutes later.
But despite disappointment at the result and frustration with the decision to allow the Fernandes goal to stand, Guardiola was much happier with the performance.
“We were there all the time, I could recognise my team,” he said. “That is all I can say. At SouthamptonâŚwhat is this? What is this team? But this was the opposite. I recognise my team from many, many years.”
What’s gone wrong for Manchester City?
Sky Sports’ Peter Smith:
Pep Guardiola was insistent that he was satisfied with Man City’s display at Old Trafford and that it was a big improvement on the midweek defeat at Southampton in the Carabao Cup, which had left him feeling ‘sad’.
But this was far from a polished performance. City seemed jittery early on with a string of players misplacing passes and Ederson erratically rushing off his line to hand Rashford a good chance.
Rather than a lack of focus, which Guardiola had criticised against Southampton, this felt more like City nervously searching for something against a well-drilled Man Utd side amid a raucous atmosphere.
Primarily they weren’t able to get Phil Foden or Erling Haaland the ball. The two hat-trick heroes of City’s 6-3 drubbing of United in October were on the periphery throughout. Haaland has now gone three games without a goal. A barren run by his standards, while Foden is far from his incisive best right now.
Defensively, Guardiola admitted his team were not always in the right position to stop United’s transitions, a major problem against a team so strong in that department.
They are causes for concern with Tottenham coming to the Etihad on Thursday. Another team which will try to limit passes into City’s attackers before pouncing on the break.
Guardiola has said he doesn’t want his players to dwell on Saturday’s game but he will have to find a solution to the emerging issues at City between now and that Spurs match. If a bad week turns into a bad 10 days, City will be in danger of slipping even further away from where they want to be…
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