There are important qualifications. This was merely the Community Shield, a trophy whose winners have not gone on to claim the league title since 2018. The opposition were the reigning champions, and their pre-season schedule involved considerably less demanding travel. The picture in central midfield should also become clearer once Rodri completes his expected transfer […]
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Arsenal opened the scoring inside 23 seconds, capitalised on City’s passive defending to make it 2-0 in the 23rd minute, and struck again three minutes after the interval. Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown told TNT Sports after the final whistle that the difference between the two teams was remarkable. He felt Arsenal played with freedom […]
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If this match offered an early indication of the Premier League’s emerging hierarchy, Arsenal’s rivals should take notice. When Martin Ødegaard calmly sent Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way to complete a 3-0 victory for the champions, the celebrations were already in full flow. The travelling fans in red and white joyfully mocked the supporters dressed […]
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Journalist Marti Perarnau, a friend of Guardiola, once discussed with the former City manager how he deployed wide wingers during the 2016-17 campaign. In Perarnau’s book, The Pep Revolution, Guardiola explained that implementing the approach required time and could not be achieved simply by giving the wingers a few instructions. He said the first task […]
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