Arsenal (The Gunners) | Special Thread

[Rutashubanyuma]

22 mins: City are having a lot of possession, though having kept the ball for a couple of minutes all they come up with is a long-range De Bruyne shot that flies well over the bar.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

16 mins: It seems Guardiola still hasn’t told anyone how to tackle.

 

[Slim5]

COYG
Lazima tushinde hii game kivyovyote vile.

Kuzuia GOLI unaweza Dada

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

dorooo siyo mbaya kwa maoni yangu

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 BURNLEY
An early Christmas present for Burnley fans - an away goal! It's a scrappy one but Clarets fans won't care as Tottenham fail to clear their lines and it results in Ashley Barnes firing Burnley ahead.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

25 mins: An overhit pass from City ends up at the feet of Cech, who stands still until an opponent closes him down and forces him to pick the ball up. And so the timewasting begins. About 70 minutes to go.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

27 mins: Koscielny’s weak clearing header is picked up by Sterling, who twists this way, turns that, and then has a shot deflected wide for a corner.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

29 mins: A brighter, more threatening attack from City ends with the ball being cleared away from Silva, but also with the crowd waking up and giving an encouraging roar.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

GOAL! TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1-1 Burnley

Six minutes later and Spurs are level! Dele Alli makes up for his earlier miss after converting a low Kyle Walker cross.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

31 mins: Gabriel boots a clearance into the back of Bellerin’s head, and Cech has to make an unusual save.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

7:30
Manchester City 0-1 Arsenal


Meanwhile at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester City are doing the football equivalent of banging their head against the wall.

Arsenal look about as comfortable as a team can be without possession as City continue to toil in pursuit of an equaliser. Raheem Sterling has a 20-yard shot deflected wide.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur (left) scores his side's equaliser against Burnley

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

'Pep Guardiola slips over on the touchline trying to retrieve the ball and holds up his hands to acknowledge the cheers from the crowd. Wenger, meanwhile, has slipped into that long coat/duvet of his, and is keeping warm on the bench.'

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

32 mins: Arsenal attack, and Walcott is totally unmarked as the ball is looped towards him, but his ambitious spinning volley flies over.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

35 mins: Sané chips the ball into the area, where De Bruyne controls, feels Gabriel’s warm breath on the back of his neck and falls over. The referee turns down his appeals for a penalty.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

36 mins: Arsenal take a short corner, from which Monreal eventually crosses, and Walcott heads wide.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Manchester City 0-1 Arsenal
There is a resigned atmosphere inside the Etihad Stadium as Arsenal go close to doubling their lead. Following a Mesut Ozil corner, Theo Walcott attacks a cross where he only just heads wide back across goal.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

38 mins: David Silva, already warned, is booked for very deliberately tripping Coquelin.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

39 mins: A briefly very threatening move ends with Walcott passing just behind Sánchez, and though Arsenal keep the ball the threat passes, and ends altogether when Bellerin blasts a shot high from 25 yards.

 

[Rutashubanyuma]

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (left) and Manchester City's counterpart Pep Guardiola watch the game from the touchline at the Etihad Stadium