Arsenal suffered a major setback in their bid to win the Premier League following a heavy 4-1 defeat at the hands of Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. The Gunners know that only victory can keep their hopes alive, but they cannot match the intensity and quality of the defending champions.
One of the biggest reasons why Arsenal played poorly was three players including Martin Odegaard, Thomas Partey and Rob Holding. All three players were unable to step up in this crucial match, which ultimately led to the team’s downfall.
Martin Odegaard, who has featured prominently for Arsenal this season, is largely unknown in the game that will decide the title. The Norwegian has failed to repeat the form that has made him one of the Premier League’s most exciting midfielders. Odegaard’s misery was further compounded when he lost the ball in City’s third goal and was later substituted by Emile Smith Rowe.
Thomas Partey was tasked with strangling Kevin de Bruyne, who made his mark at Man City. However, the Ghanaian midfielder was dead for most of the game as De Bruyne pulled the strings for the home team. Partey remained motionless and let Erling Haaland drop to De Bruyne, whose cool finish put the game ahead for the Gunners.
Rob Holding could not cope with Haaland’s intimidation. The Arsenal midle centre back was easily turned by the Norwegian striker, creating an assist for De Bruyne to open the scoring for Man City. Although Holding was consoled with a beautiful finish in the final minutes, the goal was conceded.
It is worth noting that Arsenal’s decline in form coincided with William Saliba’s absence due to injury. Holding’s performance against City once again underscored that he is not up to the standards needed if Arsenal are to regularly compete for future Premier League titles.
In the end, three Arsenal players Odegaard, Partey and Holding failed to perform and underperform in the crucial clash with Manchester City. Their lackluster performance ultimately led to a disastrous defeat for the entire team and dashed hopes of winning the Premier League title this season.
