Key events
Full time: Man City 1-0 Arsenal
Peep peep! Nathan Ake’s cool finish was enough for Manchester City to beat Arsenal in a disappointing match. It was a strange, subdued game, with few shots on target at either end, and it’s fair to assume the league game at the Emirates in a couple of weeks will be far more intense.
In fact, we may have just seen a bit of that intensity because it looked like Granit Xhaka and Erling Haaland were exchanging unpleasantries after the final whistle.
90+5 min Zinchenko, already booked, is late on Bernardo Silva and is a bit fortunate not to receive a yellow card. Zinchenko is furious, berating himself before play resumes.
90+2 min Zinchenko is booked for a foul on Kyle Walker.
90+1 min City pass the clock down some more.
90 min Four added minutes.
88 min Martinelli gets round the back again. His cross takes a couple of deflections before Ortega pounces theatrically on the ball, like a winger scoring a try, in the six-yard box.
87 min Xhaka slides a brilliant through pass towards Martinelli, and Ortega flies from his line to dive at Martinelli’s feet and claim the ball. Fine goalkeeping, though ultimately it didn’t matter as Martinelli was offside.
85 min Martinelli’s inswinger is headed away well by Rodri. Vieira gives the ball back to Martinelli, who scurries into the six-yard box from the left and pokes a cutback that is pushed away at the near post by Ortega.
84 min A better spell for Arsenal, with Odegaard getting involved for the first time since coming on. Zinchenko’s pass towards Martinelli is headed behind for a corner by Walker.
81 min Alvarez has another pop from distance. This one swirls down the throat of Turner, who makes a comfortable save.
79 min City are managing the game well now, and Arsenal are struggling to get hold of the ball.
76 min Vieira fouls Grealish, who gives him a mouthful in return. Arsenal had a really good spell straight after the goal but City have been much more comfortable since then.
75 min: City substitution Bernardo Silva replaces Kevin De Bruyne.
74 min: Arsenal substitution Martin Odegaard replaces Bukayo Saka, who had a quiet game. I guess Fabio Vieira will move to the right wing.
74 min “I’ve no dog in this fight and am enjoying the game,” says Martin Logan, “but I’d enjoy it so much more if Matterface would stop giving stats from 1856.”
I’m not really in any position to criticise someone for harking back to the past.
73 min And here’s the goal to which Jeff was referring.
73 min “Ake – not just a brilliant defender!” says Jeff Sax. “Hope Nunez was watching.”
Number 82, Jeffrey, number 82.
72 min City calm things down with a couple of minutes of possession. Arsenal are about to bring on Martin Odegaard.
70 min “Incidentally,” says Harriet Osborn, “the last competitive goal Matt Turner shipped was also to a Dutch fullback.”
That World Cup already feels an age ago.
69 min Arsenal have responded really well to going behind, and at the moment they are pinning City back.
67 min: Great defending from Laporte! Xhaka, in the inside-left channel, curls a stunning cross towards Nketiah at the far post. He is shaping to shoot – and almost certainly score – when Laporte stretches to poke the ball behind for a corner. Fantastic defending.
66 min: Double substitution for Arsenal Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Martinelli replace Kieran Tierney and the impressive Leandro Trossard.
It all started when Alvarez turned, 25 yards from goal, and crashed a superb shot that beat Turner and hit the far post. Grealish collected the rebound, protected the ball for a few seconds and then laid it back to the supporting Ake, 12 yards out. Ake had to shoot first time, with Saliba coming to meet him, and he gently passed the ball into the far corner with his right foot. That was such a calm, precise finish.
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Arsenal (Ake 64)
All that attacking talent on the field, and Nathan Ake breaks the deadlock.
64 min Apparently Thomas Partey took a knock to the ribs in the first half, so I’d imagine he was substitute as a precaution.
62 min Mikel Arteta will be thrilled with how comfortable Arsenal have been so far. It’s not quite a reverse side, but it’s not far off – at the moment they have four of their best XI on the field, and they have been the equal of City.
61 min City have changed shape slightly – Alvarez is playing behind Haaland, with De Bruyne to the right and Grealish on the left.
60 min “In their last game against Arsenal, City’s only shot on target before their stoppage time winner was a penalty,” says Zach Neeley. “They have zero so far today. If Arsenal are heading toward another moral victory, I hope it’s to get it out of their system, because after today those won’t be good enough.”
59 min A long ball forward is headed up in the air by Nketiah on the edge of the area. It drops for Vieira, who swishes a volley wide of the far post. He had the time to take a touch there.
58 min: Double substitution for City Kyle Walker and Julian Alvarez replace Rico Lewis and Riyad Mahrez.
55 min Turner is okay to continue and makes an important save from De Bruyne’s sliderule cross. Haaland was waiting behind him to score.
City are starting to look better in attack.
54 min The Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Turner has hurt his left shoulder and is receiving treatment.
52 min Mahrez clips a nice pass into Lewis, running into space on the right side of the area. He tries to hook the ball across goal from a tight angle but screws it into the side netting.
