With all eyes upon the stage that is Wembley for the community shield, Arsenal and Man City acted out a much one-sided 3-0 win to the Gunners in the traditional curtain raiser. In this match that saw Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud hit the back of the net, there were a few things to take away, and whether they will be crucial to the upcoming season is now to be weathered.
Arsenal’s new signings shine
When the list of performers were released for the audince to view, two names were bolded in the eyes of the Arsenal faithful; Alexis Sanchez and Mathieu Debuchy. These two signings were both subjects of long time reported moves to the Emirates, and the Community Shield proved to be a great red carpet event for he two to make their North London debut.
Alexis occupied a position between right wing and centre forward, and as a result he left City left back Aleksandar Kolarov between a rock and a hard place. Kolarov didn’t know whether to mark the Chilean or leave him to centre back Matija Nastasic, and this proved costly. Alexis was harassing the disorganised defence on the ball and off it, picking sharp passes and making runs that would be missed in a blink.
Debuchy looked as if he had been a part of the North London side for a season or two, making the right touchline his own. Alexis’ movement gave the France international this freedom on the right wing, and was able to cut dangerous balls into the heart of the Manchester City defence. Defensively he looked stable but isn’t as effective at his goal as opposed as he is at the opposition’s. He managed to cancel out some attacks but was caught out by Kolarov at times as well.
Jovetic should be Manchester City’s first choice with Aguero
Having shined in pre season scoring braces against AC Milan and Liverpool respectively, Stevan Jovetic couldn’t manage to take off again against Arsenal. Although he failed to add to his impressive pre-season tally, the Montenegro international looked lively and was arguably City’s most dangerous man on the field. His jet like speed allowed him to manoeuvre past defenders and turn on the afterburners to sprint down the field. He also shot the ball to his teammates like a bullet, carving out multiple chances. This itself, along with the way he never gave up and partnered next to a rusty Edin Dzeko, as shown when Szczseny managed to win a free kick outside the box and Jovetic attempted a long shot before the whistle was blown, showed that his chances of starting should match those of Sergio Aguero.
Eliaqium Mangala will be welcome sight for Manchester City fans
Whenever a side loses 3-0, the defence usually has a big part to play, and this was the same for City. The performances put in by Matija Nastasic and Dedrick Boyata respectively showed why Manchester City completed the signing of Elaqium Mangala yesterday.Mangala is a strong, fast and versatile defender who should fill any void that is in the City defence, whether it be at centre back or left back. Though it seems likely he will partner Vincent Kompany in defence, Mangala would provide a strong outlet at left back that would exert more power than the average fullback, and add an unorthodox option there for City.
While the cries of fans was for owner Sheikh Mansour to splash the cash on Mangala, current defenders Matija Nastasic and Martin Demichelis are still quality defenders and now City have the depth in defence that they have upfront. Mangala’s signing should improve the quality around him through his performances and his presence adding competition, and he may also push City to perform in Europe.
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