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Saturday April 4, 2009 Finished Emirates Stadium

2 - 0

Arsenal

  • Adebayor 8’, 50’

Manchester City

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  1. City taken apart by Arsenal

    City taken apart by Arsenal

    Emmanuel Adebayor returned from injury to score both goals as Arsenal took Manchester City apart in a comfortable 2-0 home victory. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Arsenal
    • Manchester City
    • - Thanks for joining me this afternoon; stick around for more live action.
    • 90 FULL-TIME: Comfortable victory for the home side as they eased a couple of their stars back from long-term injuries and warm-up for their big European fixture in midweek in style.
    • 89 Shot from Elano from the right-corner of the box...straight at the well-positioned Almunia.
    • 88 Arsenal are masters at playing out time, they are knocking the ball about, making City chase.
    • 86 Fine low cross from the right is well taken at the near post by Given, with Bentnder waiting to pounce.
    • 84 More patient passing sets up a shooting chance for Ramsey...he blasts over the bar.
    • 82 Sometimes, you just wish Arsenal would shoot! They pass and pass and pass on the edge of the box...
    • 79 SHODDY! Bendtner is played in down the left channel...but with the angle tightening, he screws his left-foot shot well wide.
    • 77 ANOTHER CORNER! De Jong gets in the way of Denilson's shot from the edge of the box as Arsenal completely dominate this match. City have barely threatened at all, really.
    • 76 Fabregas is replaced after his long injury layoff; Ramsey comes on.
    • 75 Arsenal are driving onwards and onwards, throwing everyone forward...Toure forces another corner with some passing and running off the ball.
    • 73 Robinho is replaced by Hughes; about time, he's been dreadful. Sturridge comes on.
    • 71 Eboue's teammates are not happy with him as the substitute opts to blast over the bar when a cut-back would have left a clear shot.
    • 70 SWP looks dangerous down the right...but his cross is out of reach of all his team mates.
    • 68 Arsenal replace Adebayor with Bendtner; fine return from injury for the big striker, two goals and he is applauded off along with Walcott, who is also replaced.
    • 66 SAVE! Given is worked from the edge of the box with a rising drive that he palms to safety before collecting.
    • 65 OFF THE LINE! Dunne is forced to clear off his line as Arsenal break in numbers down the right...the game is really open at the moment.
    • 64 Awful control on the touchline from Robinho as the ball runs out...typifies his afternoon, I'm afraid - dreadful.
    • 63 Adebayor is just caught offside as he tries to chase down a ball over the top.
    • 62 MIGHT HAVE DONE BETTER! Gallas continues his charge as Arsenal break...Walcott picks him out with a lofted cross to the back post, but although the defender brings the ball down well on his chest, his shot is poor.
    • 60 ...the corner is hit deep, and Almunia paws it behind for another corner... This one is half-cleared to the edge of the box...ZABALETA SHOOTS! Good save from the Gunners keeper.
    • 58 City win a corner when Zabaleta's shot from the edge of the box is deflected behind...
    • 57 Arsenal look firmly in the mood for more goals, it has to be said.
    • 56 CLOSE! City are being picked apart at will...Walcott flashes a shot from the edge of the box five yards wide when he might have done better.
    • 54 ALMOST THREE! Another move of quality as Fabregas gets to the byline and pulls the ball back...Adebayor's shot is deflected into the arms of Given.
    • 53 The corner is whipped into the middle...HEADED JUST OVER BY SONG! Dreadful marking again by City.
    • 52 Elano is down injured as the corner is waiting to be taken...he looks okay.
    • 51 Arsenal win another corner when Dunne heads behind as Walcott rampages down the right...City under all sorts of pressure in this second half.
    • 50 GOAL! NO DENYING THIS ONE! Brilliant from Fabregas who finds Adebayor in the box...the Togo striker dances round Given and prods home!
    • 49 Another home break down the right...the ball is pulled back to Song...blocked by Kompany.
    • 48 Early trouble for City as Fabregas cuts a long way through their defence before his eventual shot from the edge of the box is deflected through to Given.
    • 46 Okay, the second half is underway folks.
    • 45 HALF-TIME: Arsenal hold the lead thanks to their early goal; City have briefly and fleetingly threatened, but it is the home side who look more like getting the second goal.
    • 44 CRACKING MOVE, SUPERB SAVE! Arshavin and Adebayor tear City apart with some intricate passing inside the box...the Russian's low shot is palmed clear.
    • 43 Arshavin collects the ball on the ledt edge of the box...everyone knows what he is about to do...he shifts the ball to his right boot and attempts to find the far corner...high and wide.
    • 42 WIDE! Elano bobbles a shot a couple of yards wide from 30 yards. City are at least having attempts on goal, even if they are not at all threatening.
    • 41 Another Arsenal corner as Adebayor tries to weave his way to the byline...
    • 40 POOR! Robinho lashes a shot high and wide from 25 yards after the ball broke to him as Zabaleta cut inside.
    • 38 Another enforced City change; Kompany is replaced by Elano as Hughes looks for more attacking potency.
    • 36 ALMOST! A free-kick is launched into the Gunenrs box...half-cleared to SWP on the edge of the area...his attempted chip as Almunia is left stranded flies a couple of yards over.
    • 34 Arsenal's pass-and-move has been typically excellent this afternoon; City are having to be so vigilent in defence,.
    • 33 Walcott is flattened again, this time by an entirely legal Zabaleta challenge.
    • 32 Arsenal launch a high set-piece into the box...Given comes through a crowd to punch clear.
    • 31 What a golden chance that was for City after fine counter attacking play from Bellamy and SWP...Gelson should have scored.
    • 30 UNBELIEVABLE MISS! Gelson Fernandes, on for Wayne Bridge, is picked out in yards of space in the box...but his shot flies the wrong side of the post with only the keeper to beat!
    • 28 Decent spell on the ball for City, but they are unable to go anywhere with it.
    • 26 OOH! SAVE! City break superbly down the right...SWP is played in on the right corner of the box...his low, first-time shot is saved by the legs of Almunia.
    • 25 Song is penalised for outmuscling Kompany in midfield; Arsenal have been combative when they've needed to this afternoon
    • 24 OFFSIDE! Adebayor thinks he's in again...he faces down Given, rolls the ball into the middle for a team-mate...but the referee blows for offside on the big Togo striker.
    • 22 SAVE! Toure goes round Bridge too easily as he cuts in from the right flank...he gets all the way to Given on a tight angle...but plants his shot straight into the chest of the City keeper.
    • 21 Arsenal win another corner when Dunne is forced to head clear from Adebayor at the back post.
    • 20 Dunne intercepts a pass meant for Arshavin and tries to launch a one-man counter; he loses the ball and can't feed Bellamy.
    • 19 Walcott is almost played in down the right channel...the offside flag halts him as he shanks his shot well wide anyway.
    • 18 City are getting a lot of men behind the ball; three defensive midfielders in front of the back four shows Hughes's mentality; that might have to change if they are to come back from this.
    • 16 City break at pace...SWP's intended cross almost catches Almunia out of position, but he scrambles back to collect on his goalline.
    • 15 City are on the back foot at the moment...a corner is taken short, cleared back out to Fabregas...his cross is collected by Given.
    • 14 Nice move from Arsenal as some intricate passing on the right of the box sees the ball moved to Walcott...his low cross is cleared by Dunne.
    • 13 SWP presses down the right and feeds Richards, who wins his side a throw deep in Arsenal territory; City knock the ball backwards...no penetration there.
    • 12 Walcott is left on the deck holding his calf after a crunching challenge from Kompany; Wenger looks on concerned but the little winger eventually gets to his feet.
    • 11 Hughes looks thunderous on the touchline; conceding a goal at a set-piece to Arsenal isn't clever - they have enough ways to score without gifting them cheap goals as well.
    • 10 Looks like a long afternoon from this point for City; they were trying to hit Arsenal on the break, but the Gunners will feel less need to commit men forward now.
    • 8 GOAL! ARSENAL SCORE! Robinho gives away a free-kick on the right edge of the box...it's clipped into the middle, where Adebayor powers a header past Given!
    • 6 SHOT! De Jong brings the first save of the match, getting on to a loose ball and firing in a precise shot from 20 yards which Almunia saves comfortably.
    • 5 Arsenal have made a decent start; they are knocking the ball about well, but seem to be struggling with a lack of width, they are very narrow.
    • 4 Robinho had an incredible game the last time he played at this stadium, for Brazil in a friendly against Italy a couple of months ago; can he recapture any of that form this afternoon?
    • 2 Arsenal's leading scorer Robin van Persie is out after picking up a groin injury on international duty, so Russian Andrey Arshavin looks set to be pressed into a more attacking role.
    • 1 The sun is shining; it's a beautiful spring afternoon in north London. Great conditions for an attacking match.
    • 0 Okay! Off we go! Should be a cracker, this one: Arsenal are looking to win their fourth straight league game; City for a rare win on the road.
    • - Manchester City striker Craig Bellamy recovers from a knee problem to start, while defender Wayne Bridge returns after a hamstring injury.
    • - Arsenal welcome back captain Cesc Fabregas after three months out with a knee injury for the Barclays Premier League visit of Manchester City. Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor are also in action again following fitness problems of their own.
    • - Hi there; welcome to our coverage!

  • Team Stats

    Arsenal Stats Manchester City
    58% Possession 41%
    22 Shots 10
    9 Shots on target 4
    1 Saves 5
    7 Corners 2
    10 Fouls 11
    5 Offsides 0
    1 Yellow cards 3
    0 Red cards 0
    30 Tackles 28
    421 Accurate passes 277
    62 Bad passes 29

  • Player Stats

    G =
    Goals
    S =
    Shots
    SoT =
    Shot on Target
    F =
    Fouls
    FW =
    Fouls Won
    O =
    Offsides
    A =
    Assists
    AP =
    Accurate Passes
    BP =
    Bad Passes
    T =
    Tackles
    • Arsenal
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      1 Manuel Almunia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 3 0
      5 Kolo Toure 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 37 1 3
      10 William Gallas 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 18 0 0
      3 Bacary Sagna 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 50 0 3
      22 Gaël Clichy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33 15 6
      17 Alexandre Song 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 49 3 5
      4 Francesc Fabregas 0 2 2 1 0 0 2 37 4 0
      14 Theo Walcott 0 4 2 1 2 1 0 24 1 4
      15 Denilson Pereira Neves 0 2 0 4 2 0 0 67 14 5
      23 Andrey Arshavin 0 2 1 1 1 1 0 33 13 1
      25 Emmanuel Adebayor 2 5 3 0 0 2 0 23 5 1
      27 Emmanuel Eboue 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 17 0 0
      20 Johan Djourou 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      21 Lukasz Fabianski 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      26 Nicklas Bendtner 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 12 1 0
      16 Aaron Ramsey 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 2 2
      40 Kieran Gibbs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      18 Mikael Silvestre 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
    • Manchester City
      G S SoT F FW O A AP BP T
      37 Shay Given 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 4 0
      25 Wayne Bridge 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0
      5 Pablo Zabaleta 0 2 1 1 1 0 0 25 5 8
      2 Micah Richards 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 26 0 2
      4 Nedum Onuoha 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 26 5 3
      22 Richard Dunne 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 24 0 2
      33 Vincent Kompany 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 11 2 1
      8 Shaun Wright-Phillips 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 18 2 0
      34 Nigel de Jong 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 44 5 2
      10 Robson de Souza 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 26 2 6
      39 Craig Bellamy 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 21 0 1
      27 Benjamin Mwaruwari 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      1 Joe Hart 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      19 Gelson Fernandes 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 17 0 0
      15 Javier Garrido 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
      11 Blumer Elano 0 2 1 0 4 0 0 24 3 3
      28 Daniel Sturridge 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 0
      9 Valeri Bojinov 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

  • Summary

    • 71 Eboue's teammates are not happy with him as the substitute opts to blast over the bar when a cut-back would have left a clear shot.
    • 62 MIGHT HAVE DONE BETTER! Gallas continues his charge as Arsenal break...Walcott picks him out with a lofted cross to the back post, but although the defender brings the ball down well on his chest, his shot is poor.
    • 54 ALMOST THREE! Another move of quality as Fabregas gets to the byline and pulls the ball back...Adebayor's shot is deflected into the arms of Given.
    • 53 The corner is whipped into the middle...HEADED JUST OVER BY SONG! Dreadful marking again by City.
    • 50 GOAL! NO DENYING THIS ONE! Brilliant from Fabregas who finds Adebayor in the box...the Togo striker dances round Given and prods home!
    • 44 CRACKING MOVE, SUPERB SAVE! Arshavin and Adebayor tear City apart with some intricate passing inside the box...the Russian's low shot is palmed clear.
    • 36 ALMOST! A free-kick is launched into the Gunenrs box...half-cleared to SWP on the edge of the area...his attempted chip as Almunia is left stranded flies a couple of yards over.
    • 30 UNBELIEVABLE MISS! Gelson Fernandes, on for Wayne Bridge, is picked out in yards of space in the box...but his shot flies the wrong side of the post with only the keeper to beat!
    • 26 OOH! SAVE! City break superbly down the right...SWP is played in on the right corner of the box...his low, first-time shot is saved by the legs of Almunia.
    • 22 SAVE! Toure goes round Bridge too easily as he cuts in from the right flank...he gets all the way to Given on a tight angle...but plants his shot straight into the chest of the City keeper.
    • 8 GOAL! ARSENAL SCORE! Robinho gives away a free-kick on the right edge of the box...it's clipped into the middle, where Adebayor powers a header past Given!
    • 6 SHOT! De Jong brings the first save of the match, getting on to a loose ball and firing in a precise shot from 20 yards which Almunia saves comfortably.

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Andre Marriner

  • Arsenal

    Manager: Arsene Wenger

    Captain: Kolo Toure

    Starting line-up

    • M. Almunia
    • B. Sagna
    • K. Toure
    • W. Gallas
    • G. Clichy
    • T. Walcott Substitution Out (70′)
    • C. Fabregas
    • A. Song
    • .. Denilson
    • A. Arshavin
    • E. Adebayor Goals×2 Substitution Out (69′)

    Subs

    • M. Silvestre
    • J. Djourou
    • E. Eboue Substitution In70′
    • N. Bendtner Substitution In69′
    • L. Fabianski
    • K. Gibbs
    • A. Ramsey

    Injured

    • T. Rosicky
    • R. van Persie
    • A. Diaby
    • D. Eduardo

    Suspended

    None

  • Manchester City

    Manager: Mark Hughes

    Captain: Richard Dunne

    Starting line-up

    • S. Given
    • M. Richards
    • N. Onuoha
    • R. Dunne
    • W. Bridge Substitution Out (28′)
    • V. Kompany
    • N. De Jong
    • P. Zabaleta Yellow Card
    • S. Wright-Phillips
    • .. Robinho Substitution Out (74′)
    • C. Bellamy

    Subs

    • J. Garrido
    • V. Bojinov
    • M. Benjani
    • B. Elano
    • J. Hart
    • G. Fernandes Substitution In28′
    • D. Sturridge Substitution In74′

    Injured

    • M. Petrov
    • S. Ireland
    • M. Johnson

    Suspended

    None

Comment 285 - 304 of 304

Sort comments by: Most recent

  1. arsenal patrick

    From LEIGH, on Sun 12 Apr 5:15PM

  2. edwardcraig31 you are obviously a blind-armchair­ supporting rag... The TRUE HEART OF MANCHESTER will­ NEVER convert to red. IDIOT.

    From Chris W, on Tue 7 Apr 6:19PM

  3. go on gooners you make me proud boyz!!!!! 17gams­ unbeaten,6 pints from chelski, we CAN DO IT

    From wilfyboy, on Mon 6 Apr 12:18PM

  4. Arsenal is back Villareal is going out we play better­ in Italy and Spain guys...

    From maqhawe, on Mon 6 Apr 11:35AM

  5. ARShavin, ARSenal,ARSene

    From Aernex Xavier, on Mon 6 Apr 9:44AM

  6. How did Fabregas give that pass?that is talent at his­ best, this guy is good!!

    From Sammy, on Mon 6 Apr 9:26AM

  7. In order to be better, Gunner must win the FA Cup by­ beating Man U or Everton. I believe they can. Gunner,­ stop the devil!!!!!!!!!!!

    From pqkc, on Mon 6 Apr 7:39AM

  8. Gunner still needs depth ( hope they can get more­ players next season) to hv better chance of over taking­ Man U, liverpool and Chelsea!!!!!!!!!

    From pqkc, on Mon 6 Apr 7:38AM

  9. M.L.I your an idiot..

    From VERONICA P, on Sun 5 Apr 11:58PM

  10. wengers boys-to-men are really hitting the spot

    From VERONICA P, on Sun 5 Apr 11:53PM

  11. way-to-go boys

    From VERONICA P, on Sun 5 Apr 11:52PM

  12. Fabre-Pass, you are too much!
    Keep this going, anything­ can happen!

    From stephen, on Sun 5 Apr 10:00PM

  13. keep up good work!!! :-)

    From bamber300, on Sun 5 Apr 3:10PM

  14. Arsenal are the one and only!

    From Glenn, on Sun 5 Apr 12:53PM

  15. Why Nasri is not in?If he is in maybe Arsenal Can get 3

    From vernjetwong, on Sun 5 Apr 10:59AM

  16. Arsenal are undeafetable they are the Best

    From chi.brandon, on Sun 5 Apr 8:12AM

  17. Arsenal, rock on :D
    not only Adebayor has returned from­ his injury but also cesc ^^
    keep continuing the best­ part of winning match

    From Firly A. Permata, on Sun 5 Apr 6:38AM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    manchester rules..............

    From Adonye, on Sun 5 Apr 1:25AM

  19. Arsenal are the best! keep it up!

    From Ethan, on Sat 4 Apr 10:39PM

  20. well done arsenal, yet another good game!

    From Ethan, on Sat 4 Apr 10:38PM
Sort comments by: Most recent

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