EPL Review: Man City-Arsenal

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

The cliché that football is a game of two halves was made evident in yesterday’s match between Manchester City and Arsenal.

One shot on goal was the combined effort of the two teams in the first 45 minutes. Fortunately for City, Almunia is Arsenal’s goalkeeper and that only shot, a header off Micah Richards that the Spaniard should have saved, ended up in the back of the net.

1-0 at half time was more the result of randomness than any particular attempt by City to score.

The producer of the half-time highlights in the stadium is certainly talented and creative, as he or she managed to come up with four or five plays to show.

In the second half though talent and creativity moved on to the pitch, with both teams presenting their fans with fast, flowing football.

Arsenal came back from the changing room with a different attitude and that paid off with Robin van Persie scoring the equaliser 15 minutes into the second half.

The last 30 minutes of the match were the type of action packed football that only the Premier League can produce.

Manchester City pressed on after the goal and eventually regained the lead after Craig Bellamy, until then playing on the left flank, was sent to join Adebayor in the centre. 2-1 Manchester City.

A few minutes later, with Arsenal taking control of the ball and trying to get back on the match, another blazing counter-attack, another cross and Adebayor with a great header gave a two-goal advantage to City that would show to be precious in the last few minutes of the match.

After scoring, Adebayor sprinted towards the other end of the pitch, where Arsenal fans were concentrated, to "celebrate" the goal with his former supporters.

This would turn out to be the moment of the match and most likely of the season, should City be able to go all the way to the title.

It was a moment of pure irrationality and irresponsibility on the part of Adebayor as security had to be reinforced in order to prevent Arsenal fans invading the pitch, but it was certainly a great moment.

Even though the player apologised later on, the damage was done and the image of Adebayor stretching his arms in glory was left to be reproduced in both City and Arsenal fans’ memory.

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