Report: Arsenal 2-0 Manchester City
By Randy Osae
Ringing returns from Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Adebayor inspired Arsenal to another clean sweep past Manchester City today. The Spaniard, expert in provision with the Togolese registering aplomb finishes – handed Arsenal leeway in fourth place.
The duo literally combined in notching both goals – epitomizing their significance to this club – much to the lust of all lurking transfer shoppers around Europe.
Business has really resumed.
One thing Arsenal did learn from February’s consecutive blanks is that you do yourself no wrong as a team by netting early in a game of football.
Those experiments have worked at West Brom and against Blackburn recently and despite City attempting first through De Jong’s 20-yard effort, the pendulum swung Arsenal’s way as Fabregas swung in a free-kick on eight minutes.
Emmanuel Adebayor – fresh after his holidays – hardly had to leap to head home.
Once they net that early, Arsenal are always hinting of ruthlessness. Indeed, the constant fray at the visitors back line caused Wayne Bridge to hobble off with just 17 minutes played.
Then Mark Hughes’ men – waking back to life – sprinted into Arsenal’s territory with Wright-Phillips teeing up Richards whose shot was met by Almunia’s knee. The former Chelsea man repeated that surge and even better, found a free Fernandes who only had Arsenal’s stopper to beat.
But the Gunners remarkably escaped and even took momentum back into the dressing room after Arshavin nearly capitalized off a slick move with Song at the thick of the other end in first-half stoppage time.
Four minutes after the restart though, Arsenal were in total control.
Fabregas sent in a spectacular chip over Dunne and onto the foot Adebayor in the box. The Togolese intended to capitalize the cool way – rounding off Given and slotting the ball home.
Song’s header and Denilson’s 25-yard effort were among many tries which could have wiggled in for Arsenal’s third. But the visitors refused to completely back down as Zabaleta alerted Almunia with a long range effort.
With Tuesday’s traveling tickets for Villarreal already pulled out of pocket, Wenger had to conserve some energy and so on 70 minutes, Bendtner and Emmanuel Eboue came on for Adebayor and Walcott respectively.
The introduced pair were keen to add to the joy with Eboue vying to repeat his exploits in Arsenal’s last home league game.
It was soon time for Fabregas to get his own breather as Ramsey was handed a cameo. The Spaniard went off with grateful applauds coming from all around the Emirates and so did his colleagues after the final whistle.
Both parties had made quite a return to normal business.
