Arsenal 1-0 Manchester City: A sweet, title-blocking victory

There are many reasons why Sunday’s victory over Manchester City was such a sweet one. Here’s eight:

It ended City’s title hopes

As the title of this article says, it has virtually blocked Manchester City, the club that has only risen to title-challenging potential off the back of it’s ridiculously disproportionate spending, from winning the title. Manchester United are hardly angels (and neither are we to be fair) but the longer a team like City go without winning the brighter the world will be.

Nasri will not be lifting silverware

In preventing City from winning we also prevented Arsenal bail-boys Gael Clichy, Kolo Toure, Emmanuel Adebayor (yes, he still plays there after all) and most sweetly, Samir Nasri from lifting any silverware.

It showed we are ready for next season

More than stopping Manchester City from winning this was another statement to the rest of the league that (1) we are absolutely back in the top echelon of the Premier League and (2) we are ready to challenge again next season. In the last two months or so we have beaten every single team in the top eight — aside from Chelsea, who we beat 5-3 away and host at home in just over 10 days time, and Manchester United, who sit on top of the table. It’s an impeccable record and for once we have stepped up our game when our season has been on the line.

Arteta scored the winner

Mikel Arteta got his reward for superb season with a well-deserved winner. He has been the quiet achiever of our squad, paving the way for Tomas Rosicky to regain his creativity, Aaron Ramsey to have a break from the spotlight and Alex Song to have the confidence to push forward and become our assist king.

Balotelli got sent off

I don’t hate Mario Balotelli but it was satisfying seeing his melodrama of a performance end with a red card being waved in his direction. His first-half challenge on Song was a terrible one, a red card eight days a week, and it was only fair that he eventually received his marching orders. Interestingly Bacary Sagna resorted to some play-acting to ensure the Italian got his eventual punishment: behaviour you wouldn’t usually associate with our hard-as-nails right back and an indication of the sort of player Balotelli must be.

It shows again that we’re not a one-man team

Another game, another win, another scoreless performance for Robin van Persie. Although to be fair he did hit the post and have a shot unbelievably blocked off the line by Thomas Vermaelen, who otherwise had a superb bounce-back performance after his clumsy effort at QPR. A one-man team we certainly are not.

Third looks nailed on

The aftermath of our victory over City saw Spurs lose to Norwich and Chelsea fail to beat Fulham. Wins over Wolves and Wigan, our next two opponent, would almost guarantee a top-three finish and automatic Champions League qualification, not to mention an improvement over last season’s finish. It would be a remarkable result after the start to the season we had. On a related note, with Newcastle in the best form of the team’s below us it’s looking more and more likely that Spurs could miss out on the Champions League altogether. Wouldn’t that be sweet?

We’re all going to get along for a bit

The comments section on this blog is a heated space for contrasting opinions but after this win, surely every single one of us will be happy. It’s Arsenal, with love!

Spread the Arsenal love by leaving a comment.

Loading...

Comments

  1. Haha, nice to see you back Andy. Fair comments – though not sure if I’d call Toure and Clichy ‘bail’ boys. They served their time at Arsenal and I know I don’t hate them for leaving.

  2. How Pathetic it is if that is all you can hope for in a season, blocking MCFC from winning a title. The truth is you have not stopped us, we have thrown it away ourselves along with the most UTD biased season yet (officials) I have ever witnessed. Wenger has also witnessed this bias for years when you (seems a long time ago now) were up there challenging the scum.
    Anyway we will also continue to block your success by buying your best players – RVP next on the list

  3. haha pathetic..if beating us when we have been poor for weeks is massive progress then i must congratulate you for your optimism..what is it 7 years without a trophy now.Arsenal will only ever compete for european places now and never the title again coz money dictates that in every league but you gooners hate us for taking some players off you…you got millions off city so why the problem,you took young players from academies all over europe and still are winning nothing so who’s problem is that..citys…hahaha

  4. Very much enjoy using the blog to keep up with the gunners from America!

    I thought the team played some great football on Sunday. Rosicky suddenly playing like a man possessed is what is making the big difference in the teams form. Hopefully he can keep it up.

  5. @longsight city

    You’re perfectly correct. Arsenal have not won a trophy for 7 years.

    Man City have won one in 36 years.

    Thanks for the cash. Hope you’re enjoying our rejects.

  6. @Longsight,talking about years of trophy drought,When was the last time your Shit City won a trophy apart from Last year FA Cup,not even up to Half of the FA Cup in my Collections.Lets see where your money will take you…We remain the team to beat when it comes to Credible Organisation in Football.Keep Wasting your Money and we won’t relent in our approach.City of Garrulous Shit….

  7. Andy, nice post I’m happy, Always amazes me to see other teams supporters on here (with the exception of Ice who is a regular) obviously nothing better to do. I think I speak for the majority of Arsenal supporters when I wish Kolo and Gael well they were good servants to us and as far as I am aware never bad mouthed us. Now the chinless twat is a different story altogether, he showed no loyalty all he cares about is cash. If City are willing to waste their petro dollars on his arse warming the bench good luck to them. I feel sorry for the honest hard working City players (Barry, Milner, Kompany etc) who put in a hard days graft to have it spoiled by a load of Prima donnas.

  8. since when did man $ity twats show up on here? seriously, after a loss you have nothing better to do than find an arsenal blog to comment on? your comments only make the victory all the sweeter.

    i get excited every time arteta tees up just outside the box… and RVP is definitely due for a few. hat trick against wolves? i’d take it. i don’t want to count them out (visions of qpr). here’s to the CL, title challenging, and a fit squad for next year. i love these gunners.

    bubber: where you at in the states? i’m in cleveland.

  9. @Alzation…thank u mate.
    @longsight city & Del…you guyz were probably Arsenal fans; we understnd your pain

  10. Aw, some frustrated Citeh fans tryin to vent, how sad. I really feel for u blokes, livin in Manure’s shadow must be awful. Even I can’t stand em. RVP to city? No chance but wouldn’t mind if u throw some cash at us for the squid, chamack, almunia etc, would make my day, really!

  11. Now lets not get too greedy after all Adebayor £25 million, Toure £16 million, Chinless Twat £20 million, Clichy £7 million. If my numbers are correct thats approaching £70 million for about £30 millions worh. We could almost let them have RVP for free and still be quids in. Aghhh did i just say that

  12. In answer to DEL

    man city the club that are nothing without money.

    Yes we did not block you from winning the title
    Man city messed it up themselves . You remind me of Newcastle all them years ago . throwing away the title.
    Try developing your own players rather than trying to buy ours.

    Lets see if you can be a successful as Chelsea were when they got money.

    Lets see if you can be a successful as Chelsea were when they got money.

    RVP will not sign for man city just you wait and see.

  13. Thanks for the fresness Andy.

    “It shows we’re not a one man team” My favorite line by far. It good to see the team winning as the team. Not that I minded the incredible Van Persie show any more than I minded the Henry years but in order for us to progress more guys have got to step up more often and the last month (QPR the glaring exception) the TEAM has done just that.
    @Del and Longsight city ( more aptly myopicville) try to show some class. You spend big bags of loot, get nothing for it and then come over to a gooner blog and wail. How sad is that.
    I wouldn’t be caught dead sniveling over at a Man$hity blog no matter how bad my team bottled it. And let’s face it that’s precisely what you boys have done. Das ist wirklich aber schade tsk,tsk.

  14. Thanks to Arsenal players cos they are conqueror Manshit city easily front of our supporter… for now on, Ex- Arsenal player (jump boat to “MONEYSHITY” knows Arsenal Football Club is BIGGER and SUPERIOR than players who love MONEY than solidarity and loyalty…!!! For Na$$$$$$ri, Clichy, Kolo, Ade… You are nothing, nothing… to our hearts!!! Take 1 – 0 back to “MONEYSHITY” !!!

  15. welcome our SUPERIOR NORTH LONDON FOOTBALL CLUB “ARSENAL FC” TO KUALA LUMPUR (KL), MALAYSIA, 24th. July. 2012… We are proud and waiting you at KL, Malaysia

  16. What’s my name? Another eponymous scoreline! Should have been a bigger GD, but who cares. I’ll take 1-NIL and all three points any day.

    @LeftCoast – Well said, my friend. You know we’re doing something right when we attract the vitriol and bile of opponent supporters on an Arsenal blog. The only time I visited another teams’ fan blog this year was to a BWFC blog to offer my support for Fabrice Muamba (as good a kid as you’ll ever meet and a total contrast from the immaturity of Balotelli).

    What a run, after what a season! Eight of nine now, to be nine of ten after tomorrow!). Is it really an indication though, “that we are ready for next season” as Andrew is wont to believe? I’d be the first to cheer if it were, true and certainly it seems adversity has brought positive change in attitude and overall desire.

    Let’s nail down 3rd place first. I’m sure we’ll have lots to talk about in the summer. COYG!!!

  17. I love Arsene Wenger! He knows how to dupe Man City. He knows how to sell players to Man City without releasing the operating manual. No wonder, they don’t know how to operate Nasri, Clichy, Kolo and Ade. They are as a result performing abysmally.

    Mancini try bring more money so as to receive the players operating manual. Otherwise, you will sell them soon without enjoying them

  18. I loved each and every reason.
    Na$ri wont be lifting a trophy this season that feels good.
    I have not seen such spirit in the team for long time. We will be back next season for silverware for sure.

    Thanks

  19. Yes Ballatelli should have been sent off earlier, but Sagna still cheated to get him eventually sent off, no excuse. The tackle that finished Toures’ game went unpunished, not seen a comment on that anywhere. As to the money that has come the way of my long suffering club, I cannot think of too many people in my life that would refuse cash from billionares. On both my visits to the emirates this season all the Arsenal fans I spoke to seem to have a wish list of players they would like to add to their teams squad. I presume these players will be on free transfers, and of course be unattached to another club, as all your fans seem to be firmly against the transfer system. If you had the misfortune to live in my city with the neighbours we have maybe you would carry such strong feelings against us. I am not completely happy with how we joined the premier league elite, but seriously how else could we have done? For forty years we have had look on as everybody else went to the cup finals, european nights, league championships. The last twenty years we have had to suffer at work, in the pubs, on holiday, as the red shirted glory hunters took the mickey. If I wore any emblem of my team I was derided anywhere I went, funny thing is though for most of this season nobody seemed to want to discuss football with me. I don’t hate your team, in fact I have always admired the football Wengers’ teams have played, and I consider Thierry Henry to be the best player to grace the premier league. So when you you cheer when City are beaten remember 35000 of ub have stuck by them through thin and even thinner.

  20. @OAP fan

    Well written I have a certain amount of sympathy for you, it cant be much fun living in the shadow of United all that time. If it wasn’t for the money i certainly wouldn’t begrudge City some success. Problem is when you flash a cheque book at other teams players it does unsettle them. It took a long time to come up with the Sami Nasereee song and now we have to sing Yossi Benayoun. Unfortunately the majority of gooners intensly dislike the Chinless Twat (Nasri) Other players, Henry. Clichy Toure, Fabregas have left in a respectful way, Nasri unfortunately is just a money grabbing toad, who is up there with Cashley on our dislike list. So as much as I’d like to wish your team well, while that slime ball is there I’ll save a small part of my sympathy for another cash strapped deserving cause like Everton

  21. @retsub
    If you had had the misfortune to work in liverpool for twenty years like I did then I assure you your sympathies would not be with Everton. As to Nasri or indeed any player who lleaves your club, the truth will only come out when Arsene writes his memoirs. For years touring grounds in the divisions, in 99 when ManU were winning the champiuons league we were in the third tier of English football, everybody loved us. What’s different? We got lucky, we won the lottery. It could have been much much worse. Our owners were actively seeking a premier league club for six years before they bought us. Which club were on the market at that time? Clue- another club with the prefix Manchester. So my friend whilst you enjoy yout reruns of that sublime turn of Bergkamps for the most skillful goal ever scored in the premiership just thank your lucky stars they got the Glaziers

  22. Its my first coment on this blog and I feels that I have found another site of my own, as long it has something related or associated with the team I love the most since I got to knw soccer ( mighty arsenal FC). I’m very much impress to see fans from all over planet earth giving their thoughts on this wonderful club that give us all the reasons to enjoy this great sport (soccer) of ours. For city fans, you guys are the shameless suporters ever in the line of any sport this universe has to offer. With all the ups n downs arsenal had in this season, we cry our own cries, we didn’t go hunting for opponents sites or blogs to end our frustrations there, so just get a life n watch us why we celebrate.

  23. @AUSSIE GUNNER
    Dear deluded aussie whinger these stories when they concern another club as well as Arsenal appear on their web sites as well. Once the title Manchester City appears in any article, whichever web site it may be on it immediately connects to our websites. Try typing any title you want into google and see how many responses it activates. Football fans in the Uk love banter it’s part of the whole football scene over here. Nearly all football matches are played with two teams present, thoough on Sunday that was my teams only involvement in proceedings. Please do not show your ignorance on our websites, they are forums for discussion for all supporters. Lastly if finishing third in the premiership and getting narrowerly eliminated from the champions league by Milan is suffering then I hope you don’t ever have the forty years I have just experienced in English football

  24. @oap fan

    Will probably get crucified, but I am behind you on this. We should be able to exchange views without abusing each other and thats what makes football such a great game. You are obviously a true supporter, you haven’t come on here to abuse people or our team. I say welcome. If it wasn’t for Nasri we could be friends………….kidding

    Interested to get your views on 1 Nasri, do city fans rate him? And 2 your team. My view is they will not become a team until they unload the prima donnas Tevez, Balotelli etc on the other hand Kompany looks really good

  25. Taken some time to settle, however when Silva leaves the field he starts to play like he did for you at his best. I cannot understand you gooners as his best game was against Spurs, thought you would at least support him then. He has also played with a genuine smile on his face and I have heard he has quickly made friends with some of his teammates. I hate to say it but I am sure he will prove to be a sound aquisition as has Clichy. One thing Mancini has done is increase the fullbacks defensive awareness, for 7 million in todays market he has been good business. As to our other buys from you, Toure, of course is not the player he was pre malaria, but is there a better standin cntre back? I doubt it. Ade is a true enigma, though after his experiences in Africa we must give him some consideration. He is like marmite with City fans, but I believe he would have carried us to the title if he had stayed and been patient. On the credit side Van Persie is settling in and I have great hope for the future

  26. @ OAP fan did I just hear you say ignorance? after saying is a forum where you put your views across, what a shame. Is that how supporters in uk relates to others coments aswell? If you claim to be an intellectual, you should be careful to how you opposes another person coment. I feel your pain bro, hahahaha

  27. @OAP fan,

    Thanks for coming on here and sharing your perspective. You make some interesting, valid points. I feel Mancini just isn’t capable of managing at this level.

    Let’s put the whole money issue aside for the moment. Your team has been dysfunctional all year despite the manager’s efforts (or lack thereof?). You’ve got some stellar performers. I’d take Kompany, Richards and Aguero in a heartbeat, but the side really has gone all pear-shaped, and some of that surely must come down to how the club is managed on a day-to-day basis.

    Wenger could have taken your side to two trophies at least by now.
    Here’s quick rhyme for you:
    Good luck to you lot.
    It must be a royal pain living in the shadow of that irascible Scot
    and all that he has wrought.

  28. @OAP FAN
    Well if you’ve stood by for forty years while the titles have gone elswhere then you’ll have good fortitude while it goes elsewhere again.
    Stop your whining and groaning on these pages. If your multi-million dollar side can’t win the title on the pitch it can’t be gained by coming over here and wimpering. Unlike the empathic Aussie _gunner I do not feel your pain I only scoff at the pitiful,simpy noise it produces.

  29. @leftcoastgooner
    This article appeared on our website so I responded, if you have a problem with that fair enough. I am not whining or groaning as you say merely expressing my opinion. As to the future, unfortunately the people that run our club will make sure it is a success. I could not personally care less if we did in fact not win a trophy during the rest of my life. If all I wanted was glory, Old trafford is 2 miles from my home, my father was a red, my brothers are reds, my grandson is a red so it would be the easy option. Look carefully at the set up our owners are building before you make rash statements about the future. lastly read carefully the two posts by your empathic mate from down under.

  30. @OAP fan I can see that you wanna CRoss the road and you are more then welcome to do so. When was the last time you visited your team site? Just eager to knw dude, bcus you are consistent visitor on this page.

  31. Thanks to the Mancs for visiting our site – now sod off. You can sort out your own mess up there. But before you go, now that you have taken a number of our players and come up short how about you nab Modric and Bale of our neighbours, and maybe Mata from Chelski. Or better yet dangle a big fat cheque in front of Valencia and Rooney. Oh wait, you tried that already!

    Back to the post. Steady on there Andrew about 3rd being nailed on. Six games to go and still too close to call. If we can get wins against Wolves and Wigan maybe we can start talking about it. Our recent history shows that we cannot crow too soon.

    But with the playerds being talked about as joining us and if we can keep Fernando RVP then there is certainly grouinds for more optimism than we have had for a year or two. Maybe.

    Ciao

  32. Man City? or Retirement home for Ex Arsenal employees; Brian Marwood, Brian Kidd, David Platt,Patrick Viera and over priced over rated Clichy, Nasri, Adebayor. Toure! What else do you want to buy? apparently we have the best tea lady in the Premiership 10 Million? Even trying to take over our blog site.
    The fact that our players are coveted and signed by Man C and Barca all the time must mean that we are doing something right!

  33. im looking forward to tonights game so much I couldn’t focus at work the whole day today, thank God im working for the government otherwise a private company wouldn’t have tolerated such unproductivity but no worries i will make this time up…if Arsenal wins against the struggling Wolvs. We should win this one and I expect RVP to score 4 goals despite all the distractions he’s getting from teams like $ity, no wonder he hasn’t scored in more than 2 games. Im a bit worried about Rosiscky whose resurgence has been vital in the middle of the park, he normally doesnt give 2 great perfomances in 2 games in a space of 3- 4 days. He’s a kind of guy who needs 6-7 days rest to produce a great performance, how old is he again? I love the fellow and i think if goetze/hazard/gourcouf joins us next season he should be this guy’s backup atleast until he fucks up again. @Retsup is there a Rosiscky song, surely there must be, he deserves one doesnt he? The game is played so late i will be late for work tomorrow but its for a good cause. COYG

  34. Well just four hours to game time. I took a look at our head to head record against Wolves. They haven’t beaten us in our previous 8 meetings but our last encounter was a 1-all draw at home with them on Boxing Day.(Actually because of a transit strike the game was played on Dec.27th) It was our first game without a recognized fullback on either flank and preceded our January slump so I hope we can put things right today and get all 3 points.
    I’m curious (or should I say worried) about our team selection today so if anybody has a clue please post it. I know Spurs are in a slump but it won’t last forever so making the most of it now will ensure our Champions League qualification and keep us ahead of them (and the surging Gordies) in the table. In yet another trophy-less year I don’t need to tell you guys how important these goals are to our season and the progress of our club in general. So no off performances today can be excused.
    Come On You Gunners and Win!!!

  35. Team News:

    Arsenal: Szczesny, Sagna, Vermaelen, Djourou, Santos, Song, Arteta, Ramsey, Benayoun, Walcott, Van Persie.

    Substitutes: Fabianski, Squillaci, Jenkinson, Rosicky, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Chamakh, Park.

    Wenger why Ramsey? Oh my God.

  36. An excellent start but (there’s always a but huh?) with 70 minutes to play we’ve already taken our foot off the gas pedal. How long before Wolves pull one back on our sloppy or lacksadaisical play???

  37. A great save by Woijek and a goal by Yossi has put this baby to bed.
    The only question now is can we keep a clean sheet?

  38. 10 to go I think we are safe now. I have a dodgy stream but what I have seen wasn’t. Pretty. Probably exactly what was needed though

  39. the second goal and red card killed it as a contest until we started pissing around and could have let them back in. Walcott after the first fifteen was useless, but he was not alone. Pleased for Benayoun for his efforts in the last few games to get a goal.

    Wigan just beat Manure so they will be up for it on Monday so we need to be more focused.

  40. @ The Earl of Terry
    You’re spot-on Mr.T. I was worried we would screw around until they scored a goal and really only a point-blank save by Sczcensy kept them from getting back in it.
    The team as a whole lacks the instinct for the kill. I know this will start a scrap with somebody but for me this lack of killer instinct comes from the top.
    I wonder what the bookies have for odds on Wigan beating Man U and us in back to back fixtures?

  41. @lefty
    A scrap…… Great, but not with me I agree we lack the killer instinct. I think the problem is on the pitch (decided from the top). Seems to me that whilst a team is building well, we lack a driver on the pitch. I think RVP is good at creating a team atmosphere and is respected by his team mates, what is lacking in my opinion is the drive that comes from a Vieira or an Adams. Not easy to come by I know, but we do seem to have a team of nice guys

  42. A team won by 3 nil and somebody is still talking about how the team “lacks the instinct for the kill”.

    Oh my God. Mu he he he

  43. Hi lads,

    A good win from the boys last night. That puts us 5 clear of the spuds, something I was only dreaming about a few months ago. I don’t know if I would say we lacked a killer instinct last night. You have to give it to Wolves, they did improve their shape towards the end. I for one am very very excited by the vast improvement in our squads mentality and strength. We have taken several victories lately that we would have not had the stones to nick last season. The team looks like they are really gelling and there is a strong, palatable sense of camaraderie in the team. Something else that has really encouraged me is the clear sense of atmosphere at the ‘library’. The Arsenal support was rabid against City and the Traveling support at Wolves was brilliant. You can see the sense of belief is spreading.

    It comes as no suprise then that Man $hity supporters made an appearance on our beloved blog to talk smack. Here is a team that has flaunted its tawdry financial advantage over other teams. Something that their support base almost seems proud of. The win over them proved yet again that you just can’t buy class. They know this, we know this, the FA knows this. This is why they come on here, all angry and disappoined that their petro dollars could not buy them the success they have so craved for 30 odd years. Stamping their feet and hurling insults. I have one things to say to all Man $hity supporters….SHIT CLUB, NO HISTORY!

    When you have won 13 league titles, 10 FA cups, 2 League cups, 12 FA Community Shields, 1 European Cup Winners Cup, 1 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, gone an entire season unbeaten, had to the longest uninterrupted run in top flight english football (85 seasons in case you were wondering) and had the joy of Champions league football for so long its become thought of as a given…then and only then come talk to me. Until then, SHIT CLUB NO HISTORY.

    COYG!

  44. @opus
    Let’s put things into perspective, we have a good team moving towards becoming a very good team, but at the end of the day everyone on this site, well at least the Gooners want a great team. We’re not critising were striving for improvement. Remember not so long ago we surrendered a 4 ..0 lead at Newcastle and a 2 goal lead at Wigan.

    I only saw the game on a dodgy stream and it looked relatively easy, but what would have happened if we didn’t have Szs.

    You probably didn’t watch the game because Ramsey played

  45. @sa gooner well said, you don’t blame $hity fans for their frustrations, these are fans who are now looking for shoulders to cry on. The sooner they realise, the better for them, they should emulate the example of arsenal, Barcelona and man u. I suppose $hity fans go haunting man united blog or site bcuz they are the people responsible for their demise. I don’t think arsenal defeating you guys should be any surprise, it is something that is traditional. With financial fair play coming soon, can see more truoble for your.

  46. Was reading the grauniad comments on the match report. A big chunk of them were about Ramsay. I just don’t get the abuse he seems to attract. But there were also a lot of comments supportive of him. I thought he had an ok game against wolves. He certainly wasn’t the worst player on the night. wenger obviously wanted to rest Rosicky so assume he will be back v Wigan.

  47. @ The Earl
    Too much was expected from Ramsey at the start. Now that his limitations have become obvious the same set of pundits who set him too high are knocking him down. He’s a good player and may become a very good player his big sin is not coming up to the levels of greatness prescribed for him.
    Just wait and watch the same will happen to Wilshere. The real culprit is the British sporting press.
    @Opus yes it was a 3 goal win over the worse team in first division football since Derby. Oh yeah, they played with 10 men for 80 minutes and still created two excellent chances to get back in the game that only a great save and the back of Vermaelens head stopped. Maybe that’s the best we can expect but I’m still hoping for improvement.

  48. You gooners are hilarious your thread comes on a man city site and we are not allowed to reply to it….s a gooner who hasnt got a history..yes we havent won as much as you but 3 league titles..5 fa cups..2 league cups..1 european cup winners cup is still history you absolute tool..and who said we won’t win the league yet ..we got more chance than you of winning something this season….and as for the money..who would turn that down..you keep bleating on about producing your own players how many english players have come through your youth system..not as many as city in the past 10 years have you…never mind a few wins will have you thinking of winning something next season won’t it..all to fizzle out to nothing like the past 7 years…and 1 fa cup since the money..yes but 1 more than you and the promise of more to come in the future….typical gooners…blah blah blah chelski and man shittey got more money than us..blah blah blah…quick get your dvds on from 7 years ago you plonkers..heres to another 7 years

  49. @longsight City
    I’d be a little careful with your name if I were you. I know Abu Dhabi very well and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they get bored with their “toy”

    Are you lot a little embarrassed with having United (Etihad) all over your shirts and ground?

  50. I don’t know about the whole ‘killer instinct’ stuff. I mean it’s another intangible like ‘mental strength’. I’m not sure what it means or what the measure of it should be. I do know that the team took their foot off the pedal once we went two up, and for a spell of about 10-15 mins we let them back into it in terms of creating chances, where one forced a fantastic save from Szczesny. All in all though, it was a professional job done, and I think we aren’t the only team to give up chances when we’re on top. We just feel our hearts in our mouths when it happens to us, and not when it happens to other teams. In any case, I remember the Invincibles used to score 2 goals within 20 mins and then stroll through the entire match. To be fair, some people used to complain even then about it, though it was more about ‘only’ winning 2-0, or 3-0. It’s different now, and our recent ability to collapse plays a big part in that, however, I wasn’t really worried yesterday.

    Oh and longsight shitty.. EVERYONE should get those DVDs. That was quite simply the best team England has seen, at least in the modern era. Do you think your sheikh bought you because he liked your history or your football? Your money, which isn’t even your money, is something which is potentially ruinous towards football, and I’m not going to try and explain how. You probably know this anyway, but hey.. Who can turn down all that money, because it can make us ‘win’ things. Go buy your trophies and be happy. One day you’ll go back to being ‘History’, where you belong. Until you do it the ‘right’ way, you will get no respect from football fans. Decide between trophies ‘won’ that way or respect. You can’t have both. Not that you know what respect is it seems. Oh, and I was actually pulling for your team to win the title over ManCheater Utd, because the sort of things that go for them leave me with a bad taste in my mouth, and I think that is ruinous to football as well. But both sets of Manchester fans just seem to be utter idiots, if you are a representative sample of the blue half that is.

  51. Very good to see the win against Wolves. Andrew great blog and agree with you on every single word of it. I was and i am almost on the same vibe with you on Newcastle making it to top f0ur rather than Spurs. Looks like our team has become favourites to City in recent days.

    Very funny about Mancini comments. He told that United will lose and they were winning .Now he became superstitious and wants to say United will win and expect them to lose.

  52. Retsub..haha what a plonker you are..etihad means unity not united..come back on here when you’ve done some research you clown….Shard…the only idiots are deluded gooners re read the title of this thread..its all about demeaning my football club..why coz of nasri you feckin cry babies get over it..how many clubs have you stole young players from ..at least we gave you 25 million for him which you will waste on another useless goalie and centre half probably..and we don’t give a feck what other football fans think hated or loved we don’t care..i love city coz i’m from manchester and followed them through numerous relegations so who can begrudge us some success over the next few years…or does that grate that arsenal are no longer challenging for the title and your best players want to leave every year…p.s gooners come back with some constructive points rather than man shitty comments..

  53. @longsight city
    Plonker? clown i guess it could have been worse. I have worked in the Middle East for many years and spent a considerable amount of time in Abu Dhabi. I can tell you first hand that their is no direct translation in many dialects for Ehtihad, but it does get very close to United. Many of my Arab friends found the situation amusing.

    so buddy get your facts right ,,,Ma’salamah habibi

    The announcement by Manchester City that the club has signed a deal to rename Eastlands as the Etihad Stadium sparked claims from football fans that the Blues had unwittingly scored an own goal.

    Fans on social media sites claimed that the word ‘Etihad’ translates from Arabic to ‘United’ in English meaning that City fans would effectively be filing into a ground carrying the name of their greatest rivals.

    Twitter user James Mutegi was one of many who tweeted on the subject, writing: “Manchester City…So Etihad is’United’ in Arabic. Etihad Stadium = United Stadium. #mcfc”

    Another was Marcello Nobrega, who tweeted: “Man City new stadium to be called ‘Etihad Stadium’. Ironic that Etihad means United in Arabic” while Liam Gabard added: “Etihad in Arabic means United. So that means Manchester City! Are playing in the United Stadium… Good one.. (Y)”

    Speaking at the Manchester City press conference, James Hogan, of Etihad Airways, said the correct translation of Etihad from Arabic was ‘Union’.

    However, this failed to settle the debate, with a user on the MEN’s live blog called ‘Jon’ writing: “union ,unity, united its all the same mate”.

    The MEN contacted Mohammed Nizami, at the Manchester City council translation service in the town hall, who said the correct translation for Etihad was ‘Unity’.

    But when asked if the word could also mean ‘United’ he consulted an arabic dictionary and said: “Yes, it can also stand for union, alliance, friendship and united.”

  54. @longsight

    Sigh.. I think it’s you who really has a chip on his shoulder about your club. There’s nothing wrong with the title of the article. Is the title really saying sweet, title blocking victory as in, that that’s why it is sweet, or are they both adjectives. Even if it is the former, is it sweet because it shows we can compete with the teams up there, is it because of Nasri, or is it because of your club lacking class? When you say you don’t care what others think, then why are you on here arguing incessantly about nothing? The fact remains you are paying us for our players with money you didn’t earn and are also abusing the loan market, inflating player wages, and the transfer market, and pushing other clubs to the wall doing it. ManU earned their money and their titles (initially), and so much as I hated them, I had respect for them. I have immense respect for the way Arsenal go about their business, even if I would like more titles to go with it. Your club (and Chelsea) inflate player wages, inflate the transfer market, and invite scumbag owners to come in and destroy football clubs. Not all of it is at your doorstep, but your football club symbolises that, and that is how you will be seen. Especially if you are proud of it. At least some ManU fans tried to block the Glazers from taking over. Your fans seemed to welcome it. But far from hating you, I am unable to motivate myself to feel anything towards your club. Largely, you are irrelevant. Whether you win cups and titles, or you don’t, it makes no difference to me. To those that it makes a difference to, it is because of what your club represents, and you have no one but your own club to blame for that.

  55. Good Lord!
    Who gives a piss about Man $hity? We needed a win and 3 points, we got a win and three points. I’ll think about them again next year about 5 or 6 days before the fixture. Until then do yourselves a favor lads don’t bother with this gripper, Whatever his agenda is it isn’t ours and definately not worth the time or response. We have Wigan next and that’s what I’m thinking about not last weekends losers.

  56. Are you idiots thick or just stupid..how on earth are chelsea and city ruining football if they paid over the odds for players…the money stays in football doesn’t it..i.e you get 25 million for nasri then go out and buy mertesacker and arteta with the money thus the money staying in football then everton who are penniless go out with the 10 million for arteta and buy a couple or 3 new players…as for players wages you can pay what you want unless you are arsenal who have a wage ceiling..if the player loves arsenal he stays if he is money motivated and by that i mean players like samba from blackburn or gyan at sunderland who moved purely for more money to a lesser standard of football…don’t give me nasri or any other ex arsenal gone to city player coz yes they might get more money but have more of a chance of winning the major trophies now with us or are you gooners too blinkered to see it…and as for you harping on about beating us..errr haven’t we beaten you twice this season or do you want to forget your trips to manchester this season..even wenger says having loads of money doesn’t guarantee anything until he loses to us or chelsea then bleats about money…can’t be arsed with you tools any longer..adios

  57. @longsight city – how is the title of this blog demeaning? we won, you lost. you are many points adrift of manUre with only a few games to go. that, to me, sounds like title-blocking. and the win was sweet for us, it meant a jump over our rivals in the standings and a continuation of recent good form.

    i hope you meant the above and don’t post anymore. tools? really? nice insult.

  58. Wheres all you puddings now..hahaha city champions …no history haha last 2 years fa cup and premier league champions now remind us again all you tools what arsenal have won in the same period…never mind 3rd place is the highest you will ever get again.

  59. Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an really long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Anyways, just wanted to say superb blog!

  60. Nice post. I was checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Extremely helpful information specifically the last part I care for such info much. I was looking for this particular info for a long time. Thank you and good luck.

  61. All large purchases are always intimidating, especially if
    you are uninformed about the industry. One of the scariest purchases
    is buying cars. Many people fear they are getting
    ripped off and you surely don’t want that. Avoid buying a lemon by looking through these great tips and tricks regarding car purchases.

  62. I like what you guys are usually up too. Such clever work and exposure!

    Keep up the terrific works guys I’ve included you guys to my own blogroll.

  63. I am extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the
    layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself?
    Either way keep up the excellent quality writing,
    it’s rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.