Why Consistency Is the Biggest Issue Facing Arsenal After Manchester City Game

Arsenal finally did it: They beat one of the truly big teams away from home. And they did so decisively, taking control of the game and defending in an organized way.

The Gunners returned to the Etihad Stadium for the first time in more than a year and displayed none of the inadequacies that resulted in their 6-3 defeat back then.

David Ospina was confident and commanded his penalty area as he secured his third consecutive clean sheet. The back four held together remarkably well, with Nacho Monreal in excellent form and Hector Bellerin progressing rapidly.

Ahead of them, Francis Coquelin put in a truly outstanding performance that will compel Arsene Wenger to start him for at least the next several games. The Frenchman was full of energy but remained composed throughout the match.

Coquelin's incredible statistics speak for themselves:

As Andrew Mangan wrote after the game, if Arsenal can beat Manchester City in the convincing way in which they did on Sunday (in other words, if their victory was not a fluke, which it wasn't) then Arsenal can beat any team in England.

Of course, we know that the Gunners can take three points from anyone on their day. But those days simply do not arrive often enough.

Arsenal lack consistency. They have for years. Last season was a bit of an anomaly, but still the Gunners could not keep playing at an elite level for the entire season. The title slowly slipped away from them as injuries and fatigue caused them to fade.

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The foundation for Arsenal's title run was an autumn winning streak that separated them from the peloton early on. Yet it is nearly impossible for a team to win the league if it cannot defeat its rivals, thereby simultaneously winning points and preventing their opponent from getting any.

This is what has hampered the Gunners more than anything else except injuries in recent years. See, for example, their inability to take down some of the weakest Manchester United squads in decades.

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People frequently reference Arsenal's supposed psychological barrier in big games as an explanation for their repeated inability to get the job done. Wenger said after the Manchester City victory (via the Daily Mail) that defeating such a prestigious opponent was a "big moment" for the team.

Perhaps the Gunners will feel like a weight has been lifted after such a thoroughly satisfying performance. Supporters will hope that Wenger and his staff will be able to apply the lessons learned from this game to other, similar fixtures.

Arsenal were tactically flexible and positionally disciplined. That, some luck and some individual skill allowed them to beat City.

But Newcastle beat Chelsea this season. There is sufficient parity in the Premier League for any team to beat any other on any given day.

Arsenal are, of course, better than Newcastle. But if they are unable to replicate this performance, their defeat of Manchester City will merely amount to three points gained.