Arsenal welcome Manchester City to the Emirates stadium
in their match day 17 clash of the 2015/2016 Premier
League season as the two team could do without their two
star forwards.
Sergio Aguero and Alexis Sanchez are in a fitness battle to
feature in a match that would decide who will move three
points clear of who on the table.
Alexis Sanchez limps off injured
Arsenal are second with 33 points with City third with 32
points.
Arsenal will be missing the likes of Santi Carzola, Francis
Coquelin, Danny Welbeck, Jack Wilshere while City are
missing captain Vincent Kompany, Paulo Zabaleta and the
suspended Fernando.
The last meeting between this two sides at the Emirates
ended 2 – 2 with Sanchez and Wilshere scoring for Arsenal
while Aguero and Demichelis came to the resuce for Man
City.
Kick off: 9pm, Nigerian time.
Line ups:
Manchester City XI vs. Arsenal: Hart; Sagna, Otamendi,
Mangala, Kolarov; Toure, Fernandinho; Delph, Silva, De
Bruyne; Aguero.
Arsenal XI vs. Manchester City: Cech; Bellerin,
Mertesacker, Ksocielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Flamini;
Walcott, Özil, Campbell; Giroud.
FT: Arsenal 2 – 1 Manchester City. Ozil assisted Walcott
and Giroud while Yaya Toure scored for Manchester City
90′ Arsenal looking nervous in the last few minutes..four
minutes of added time given
88′ IS THAT A PENALTY!!! Giroud slides and tackles
Otamendi in the box, referee says ply on. Giroud leaves the
pitch for treatment
86′ SUB: Calum Chambers on, Theo Walcott out
85′ TOURE!!! Walcott does enough to distract Yaya Toure
from getting a late equaizer after Arsenal’s defense was
passed to bits
83′ GOOOOAAAALLLLLL!!! Toure’s scores a stunner. From
a throw-in, De Bruyne finds Toure and the Ivoriaan takes a
one time shot that shocks the who Emirates stadium
81′ At the other end, Walcott creats space for himself but
his low drive is gathered easily
80′ WHAT A MISS!!! Jesus Navas finds himself with all the
space in the world but instead of shooting he tries to
square for Bony but Mertesacker read it well
77′ SUB: Oxlade-Chamberlain on, Ozil off
75′ SAFE HANDS!! Petr Cech does well to hold unto a
Wilfried Bony header from a corner
73′ SHOT!!! Sterling leaves Bellerin for dead on the left but
his curled effort is easily caught by Cech
72′ SUB: Jesus Navas on, David Silva off
70′ NICE FOOTWORK FROM RAMSEY!!! Giroud finds
Ramsey in the box with a lofted pass, he takes the ball in
his stride but after twisting and turning his curled effort is
wide
68′ SUB: Keiran Gibbs on, Joel Campbell off
64′ TOO MUCH ON THE CROSS!!! Walcott does well to
hold off Mangala and Otamendi, he passes to Belerin who
was running in from right back but the Spaniard over hit
his cross
62′ SUBS: Wilfried Bony on, Aguero off…another injury for
the Argentine
59′ WHAT A MISS!!! Ozil finds Campbell who unselfishly
finds Ramsey but the Welshman cannot go past Joe Hart.
Should have taken a one-time shot there
56′ Otamendi and Giroud having a classic stiker vs
defender battle out there…The defender stops Giroud from
toe poking a goal from Bellerin’s cross with a last ditch
effort
54′ SAVED!!! Cech gathers Kolarov’s freekick easily
53′ WHAT A MISS!!! The impressive Campbell should
score. Ozil finds Monreal on the left, his low cross is taken
one time by Campbell but its over
51′ SHOT!! Aguero’s attempted shot is weak and Cech
gathers easily
49′ The second half has been helter skelter so far, Arsenal
players laying with the ball while City are looking to
counter…nothing productive
48′ FOUL!!! Otamendi is too aggressive an fouls Giroud
47′ SAFE!!! Sagna plays safe and heads Bellerin’s cross
out for a corner
46′ Half time sub: Raheem Sterling replaces Fabian Delph
HT: Arsenal 2 – 0 Man City. Ozil assists Walcott and
Giroud goals
45′ GOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!! Giroud makes it 2
– 0 on the stroke of half time. Ozil slides a ball to the left
and the striker’s shot passes through Joe Hart’s legs
3′ OFFSIDE!!! Ozil is just a fraction offside, City survive
40′ SO CLOSE!!! Campbell’s through ball is too far for
Walcott
35′ The match is feisty and tackles are flying here and
there…ref does well to keep the yellow card count low
33′ GOOOOAAAAL!!!! Walcott scores, Immediately after De
Bruyne’s miss, Arsenal pushed the ball to Ozil who found
Walcott on the left who turns and curls a stunner
32′ WHAT A MISS!!! De Bruyne finds himself one on one
with Metersacker, he has options in the form if Silva and
Aguer0 but he decideds to go alone…his effort is wide
30′ Yellow card on David Silva for a foul on Koscienly
during a Man City counter attack that was easily stopped
28′ Man City enjoying a good spell of possession but there
are no gaps in the Arsenal defense
24′ Kolarov commits a professional foul as Ozil was on
the counter following a Man City corner which was
cleared.
22′ SHOT!! De Bruyne skins Monreal, he takes a left footed
low drive but Cech palms away for a corner. The ball was
going out of play but the former Chelsea man is taking no
chances. Corner is cleared easily
19′ CHANCE!!! Ozil’s cross almost finds Walcott but
Otamendi slides and kicks the ball on the Englishman
17′ Sagna wins a corner off Koscienly, De Bruyne attempt
is cleared and Arsenal survive, City on the octane now
16′ City happy to counter and so far it has worked for
them a they look dangerous with every attack
14′ De Bruyne hops down Walcott, fans want a yellow card
but the ref says no
13′ SHOT AGAIN!!! Nice interchange of play by Silva,
Delph, Toure sees Silva free to shoot but Arsenal’s centre
backs do well to block
10′ SHOT!!! Good combo by Fernandinho and Kolarov sees
the former with pace outside the box, he takes a shot but
it curls just wide off the mark
9′ Ramsey is force to foul Silva who robbed him of the
ball. City could have countered
7′ SHOT!!! Silva takes a shot froom outside the box but he
is off balance and the ball goes well wide
6′ SO CLOSE!!! Walcott is through but he can’t control
Monreal’s pass
6′ Arsenal doing all the passing, City happy to sit back
and defend
5′ Ozil is disposed and Delph finds De Bruyne who runs at
the Arsena defense, he takes out one defender but
Metersacker des well too recover and tackle well
3′ Ozil showing some nice touches in the early exchanges
2′ Campbell’s ball from the right finds Giroud off, Arsenl
starting on the front foot
2′ Girooud wins a corner off Otamendi but Arsenal can not
capialise
1′ Arsenal kick off