Olivier Giroud (right) nods the ball past Joe Hart in the Manchester City goal to double Arsenal's advantage
Hart can only look back in anger as the ball nestles in his net and Arsenal head off in celebration at scoring a second goal
Giroud salutes the crowd after heading home for Arsenal to set the Gunners firmly on their way to a rare victory in Manchester
Giroud slides in jubilant celebration
and is joined by Arsenal team-mate Alexis Sanchez as they head towards a
crucial three points
MATCH FACTS, PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE AND MATCH ZONE BY NEIL ASHTON
Manchester City:
Hart 6, Zabaleta 5.5, Kompany 5, Demichelis 5, Clichy 6, Fernandinho 4,
(Lampard 63, 6), Fernando 4, Jesus Navas 5 (Dzeko 76, 6), Silva 5.5,
Milner 6 (Jovetic 46, 6), Aguero 4.5.
Subs Not Used: Sagna, Kolarov, Caballero, Mangala.
Booked: Kompany, Fernandinho, Aguero.
Manager: Manuel Pellegrini 4.
Arsenal:
Ospina 7, Bellerin 7, Mertesacker 7.5, Koscielny 7, Monreal 7, Coquelin
7.5, Oxlade-Chamberlain 6 (Rosicky 66, 7), Ramsey 7 (Flamini 84),
Cazorla 7, Sanchez (Gibbs 84), Giroud 8.
Subs Not Used: Szczesny, Ozil, Walcott, Chambers.
Booked: Koscielny, Ramsey, Bellerin.
Goals: Cazorla 24 pen, Giroud 67.
Manager - Arsene Wenger 8.
Referee: Mike Dean 4.
If
the criticism is that Arsenal cannot play a clever, containing game on
the counter-attack, the first-half here was the response. At times
Arsenal possession statistics dropped to as low as 21 per cent, yet they
look dangerous on the break, goalkeeper David Ospina did not have a
save of consequence to make, and the midfield worked devilishly hard
shutting out the supply line to Sergio Aguero, not least through David
Silva.
It
was a performance with all the qualities Arsenal are said to lack and
one that left the locals noisily frustrated. By the end of the half they
were in a snit with their team, and Mike Dean the referee, news clearly
having reached the Etihad of the contentious nature of Arsenal’s lead.
It
was a minute from hell for Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany. He
brought the ball out from the back, seemed uncertain what to do with it,
kicked the floor as he made his mind up, then fell over. This is
perhaps why you don’t give your Ballon d’Or votes to tenacious, robust
defensive types. Soon after he was shaping up to Arsenal’s Nacho
Monreal, who slipped the ball inside and ran for the one-two. Kompany
didn’t stick a foot up, but he didn’t entirely avoid contact either. He
stood his ground – as is his right – with the tiniest movement to slow
Monreal’s path. The pair made minimal contact but it was enough for
Monreal to throw himself to the ground, and referee Mike Dean bought it.
He pointed to the spot to Kompany’s astonishment, and Santi Cazorla
planted the ball to Joe Hart’s left, leaving him no chance.
Santi Cazorla fired home the opening goal from the penalty spot as he sent the ball past the outstretched arms of keeper Hart
Nacho Monreal hits the brick wall of Vincent Kompany as he attempts to get on the end of a ball into the Manchester City box
Monreal was caught by Kompany with the contact sending the left back crashing to the ground inside the penalty box
Monreal's fall handed Arsenal the perfect opportunity to go in front at the Etihad and Cazorla did not waste his opportunity
Manchester City captain argues his case with referee Mike Dean after conceding the first-half penalty at the Etihad
Cazorla leads the Arsenal celebrations after the Spaniard kept his cool to fire home from the penalty spot
Cazorla is joined in his celebration by striker Giroud who would go on to double the visitors' advantage in the second half
Manchester
City’s initial response was insipid to say the least. Indeed, the only
chance of the half worth a shout fell to Arsenal. That came from an Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain cross after 19 minutes, which was deflected wide by
Kompany after Olivier Giroud’s header. Drawing the odd booking aside –
Laurent Koscielny body-checked Fernandinho early on, and Aaron Ramsey
fouled Aguero 45 yards from goal – City barely registered. Yaya Toure,
tweeting good luck messages from another continent, has barely looked
more vital.
Of
course, City couldn’t possibly be as poor in the second-half as they
were in the first – trailing 1-0 at half-time – and so it proved. Having
not had a shot inside 36 minutes, they applied real pressure after the
restart. David Ospina – again included ahead of Wojciech Szczesny but
hardly more impressive – tipped round from Sergio Aguero, perhaps
unnecessarily, and a fierce effort from Jesus Navas was parried moments
later; but Arsenal always looked more likely to score, thanks to the
resolute defending of Laurent Koscielny and the uncertainty of City’s
back line.
The
visitors could have been two clear even earlier after a fine move
involving Alexis Sanchez and Giroud ended with Ramsey spare on the left
but shooting over. Sooner after a quite brilliant touch by Koscielny
denied Aguero again, following a cross from Navas, but this was Arsenal
at their finest this season. Not always beautiful, but intelligent and
efficient, with a resilience that had been presumed beyond them.
No-one was jeering Wenger as he made his way back to London this time.
Kompany fouls Giroud and is then shown the yellow card as Manchester City fought to get back into the game at the Etihad
Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain clashes with Manchester City's Sergio Aguero as they vie for possession during the
Sergio Aguero, Steven Jovetic and Frank Lampard look dejected as Manchester City head for a crushing defeat by Arsenal
Cazorla crashes into Argentine striker Aguero and concedes the foul, earning himself a booking in the process
Arsene Wenger appeals to the officials during a 2-0 win at Manchester City as his Arsenal side prevailed at the Etihad
Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey evades the attention of Manchester City pair Jesus Navas (right) and Fernando (left)
Aguero watches on as he narrowly misses out on connecting with a cross in front of Arsenal's goal during the 2-0 defeat
David Silva was well marked all match
by a resilient Arsenal midfield, as Francis Coquelin slides in to stop
the Spaniard on this occasion
Arsenal keeper David Ospina celebrates the morale boosting victory at the Etihad with Gunners skipper Per Mertesacker
Goalscorer Olivier Giroud salutes the
travelling Arsenal fans after his header guided Arsene Wenger's side to a
crucial win on Sunday
The Arsenal squad head over to the away end to applaud the travelling Arsenal fans who celebrated a fine victory for the Gunners
