It's a beautiful cloudless day in Manchester for a game that is hotly anticipated by fans and media alike. The Super Blues welcome Arsenal to Manchester for a match that will give the first indication as to whether City can challenge the big boys.Approaching the COMS the atmosphere is building nicely though we do encounter one sorry bunch of Arsensal supporters who wish to antagonise their City counterparts by singing obscene 'Adebayor' chants. Those chants would continue throughout the match and Adebayor would have quite an eventful day to say the least. The teams are announced over the loudspeakers and guess which individuals get the loudest cheer? Yes that's right, Toure and Adebayor!
The game is underway with Arsenal dominating the early possession and looking the superior outfit. City slowly get into the game and on 20 minutes grab the lead. Barry swings in a free kick for Richards to head the ball past the grasping Almunia only for the ball to hit the upright, back onto the keeper's bonce and into the onion bag. Woop woop!
City then start to dictate play with Barry and Bellamy showing some good touches and threat respectively. De Jong is having a riot. Ireland seems off his game - maybe carrying an injury. Things aren't quite happening for SWP either, who isn't getting any change at all from the excellent Clichy. Adebayor's every involvement sparks abuse from an element of the travelling support.
Arsenal end the half on the front foot with City having to resort to hitting them on the break, though we're struggling to get numbers in support of Adebayor.
Half Time : Man City 1 - Arsenal 0
Time for a pie. Chicken Balti is the pie of choice today. A touch on the salty side, though the pastry is firm, the chicken tender and the balti sauce of good consistency and flavour. Recommended. Sadly the same can't be said of the meat based beverage known as Bovril. Weak and tepid. Come on City sort it!
The second half sees Arsenal eager to get on level terms, though City's defence especially the brilliant Shay are just about holding firm.
The Gunners introduce Rosicky to the fold and it's not long before the game is all square. Lescott's challenge on Van Persie isn't the best, which enables the Dutchman to regain possession and smash a low shot into the bottom corner. This isn't good. Arsenal are in the ascendancy and City's composure looks shot. Keep the faith! The crowd respond and Toure encourages his men. We can do this!
And in true City style the team does respond. It really is difficult to fathom out City sometimes. The spring in the step returns, as does the team's shape, composure and passing crispness. It isn't long until we've got 'em on the back foot. SWP feeds Richards down the right for him to beat the covering defender and lay it off to Bellamy to make it 2-1 in the 74th minute. With 10 minutes to go City go further ahead in what turns out to be controversial fashion. SWP beats his man to deliver a great cross for Adebayor to head home.
The Togolese man then races the full length of the field in world-record pace and pulls off an impressive 20-metre knee-slide to land directly in front of the apoplectic Arsenal fans to celebrate. Chaos then ensues, some Gooner fans try and get on the pitch, an assortment of objects (bottles, coins, food and garden furniture!) are thown in the direction of our goal-per-game striker, the nearby stewards struggle to cope with the surge and the fuzz wade in with glee. As Adebayor is wiping the build up of dirt from his kness and tucking into a free burger (he don't like gerkins!) the ref duly brandishes a yellow card on our bemused heroic trouble causing drama queen. That was frickin' hilarious! The media are going to have a field day no doubt.
This second half is turning into a classic. City grab their 4th goal by hitting the opposition on the break with Bellamy laying off a pass perfecto for SWP to chip the ball over the advancing Almunia in the 84th minute. City then stop playing and Rosicky gets Arsenal's second with 2-minutes of normal time left. 4-minutes of extra time are shown and worryingly Arsenal are creating plenty of chances and the game somehow doesn't seem safe! We hold out though and claim the victory. To further fuel the rage of the visiting supporters the man of the match is awarded to the one and only Mr. Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor (De Jong got ManTwitty's vote, closely followed by Bellamy and Richards). What a game!
Full Time : Man City 4 - Arsenal 2
Man City Team:
Given, Richards, Bridge, Lescott, Toure, Ireland (Petrov 73), Wright-Phillips, Barry, De Jong, Adebayor, Bellamy
Subs : Taylor, Onuoha, Zabaleta, Sylvinho, Vidal, Petrov, Weiss
Arsenal Team:
Almunia, Sagna (Eboue 77), Vermaelen, Gallas, Clichy, Diaby, Fabregas, Denilson (Rosicky 52), Song (Eduardo 77), Van Persie, Bendtner
Subs : Mannone, Silvestre, Eboue, Gibbs, Rosicky, Ramsey, Eduardo
Ref: Clattenburg
Att: 47,339
Next Sunday sees City travel to 'The Quagmire' to take on the dirty Reds. Bring it on!
ManTwitty.
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