On the Whistle: Arsenal 1-0 Man City - "We just beat the best team in the world"

Wow, there we go guys. For the second time in this early period of the season, I'm leaving the Emirates Stadium. My ears are absolutely ringing. Thanks in no small part to that guy. I mean, Arsenal, you've got to give them credit. They know how to go into an international break. A few weeks ago we were heading into an international break. We got that last gasp win over Manchester United. Big thumbs up from that dude. But we're heading into an international break now after a 1-0 win over Man City. Let's hit you with the headline, Arsenal just beat the best team in the world. It's not too often that you can say that. I think we can unequivocally say that. This is a side who did the treble last year. They're without a couple of key players. Well, guess what? So are Arsenal today. And they are 1-0 winners. A fascinating game. Let's get into it. It's interesting, you think about these fixtures last season. They were finals, right? Pep called them finals. And I think that played into City's hands. Number one, it gave them a huge motivation, huge incentive to win. They had to win them. Number two, it gave us that bit of anxiety. We had a lot to lose in those games. And actually, because of the time in the season which they fell, that increased all the more. This game, the stakes were lower. City came into it as league leaders. They didn't have to win here. A point would have suited them. And to be honest, a point would have suited Arsenal. It would have kept the gap reasonable and it wouldn't have felt quite so damaging. And I think that helped us. I think that helped us. That made this a game of chess. Not a game that City necessarily came to blow us away, because they didn't have to do that. And what it became was a game of chess. It became about who would make that one mistake or get that one bit of luck. And in the end, it was Arsenal. But huge credit to Mikel Arteta. His changes were integral. I think if you look at the goal, I've only seen one view of it and then I was going mental celebrating, but I think it was a Thomas Partey clip pass, a Tommy Asu knockdown, a Kai Havertz layoff, and a Gabriel Martinelli finish. Four substitutes combining to score that goal. And that's no surprise because this was a game where changes were going to be key. City made a triple change at one point. We responded with a triple change of our own. They brought on Doku to run at Zinchenko. We swapped him out and brought on Tommy Asu. Chess is absolutely the right word. I think I'd be lying if I said it was a thriller minute. There weren't a lot of chances in this game, but I think that is the story of Arsenal's season. Becoming more City-like, becoming more controlling, allowing fewer chances. What saves did either goalkeeper make? Not very many. Speaking of goalkeepers, David Reier will be a big talking point, probably not right now where we're celebrating a win, but in the weeks to come. I have to say I've felt for him a little bit today. He had some struggles with his shorter distribution in the first half. I think what's hard is obviously he's got the North Bank behind him and the North Bank, they love Aaron Ramsdale and they know he's sat there on the bench. So I feel like that kind of amplifies any small error that Reier makes. This is the trouble with two goalkeepers and we knew we were getting into that. I think it's not particularly healthy for either man, whoever's in possession of the shirt, to know there's another alternative on the bench breathing down your neck. Maybe in the long term that won't be something that's sustainable. I think there is a reason that people don't do this for keepers and maybe we're learning a little bit about that. I hope you can still hear me, but in a way I hope you can't. This is the atmosphere that I'm soaking up. I filmed a bit of full time. I'll post that for you guys as well. We haven't talked about the red card yet or lack of red card and what a joy, what a pleasure that is. It would have been a nightmare to have to spend the entirety of the fallout from this game. Let's do this! Prize to that guy, love that. It would have been a sport night talking about a refereeing decision. There's been enough of that in recent weeks and I think obviously Kovic should have gone. It looks like he should have gone for the first tackle. The second one, I mean I'm still somehow in disbelief that that wasn't given a second yellow. It almost sounds as if, feels as if I should say, the referees are on instruction, no sending us off early on here. We don't want to spoil the game. We don't want the officials to be the headline. Well that's gone wrong because the officials were a big talking point. I should say on Raya, I felt he recovered his composure well in the second half. One really good claim for a corner and some better longer range passing. The back four were excellent tonight. Let's go through the team. Saliba, brilliant. Won his first few duels with Haaland and to be honest dominated the Norwegian I thought in the game. Any game where Haaland doesn't score, your centre halves have done all right. So Gabriel and Saliba will be particularly pleased this evening. Let's do this! But Saliba I think, you know, as good a forward as Haaland is, I think Saliba has the potential to be as good a centre half when he reaches his peak in the next few years. Wow, what a player. Unfortunately it looks like it might happen at Arsenal. I f***ing love you man. That's all right man. Love you. I hope I get on this. You're in it. Okay, what else? Full-backs, Zinchenko was himself but was replaced at the right time. A 70-minute player and not a player with tired legs to be facing Doku. Ben White, happy birthday Ben White. I don't really have much to say about Ben White. I thought Jorginho managed the game very well having picked up an early booking. I will say that these are good games for Jorginho. He does well against City and he needed a good game after the North London derby where he made a big mistake. I thought he did well today. Odegaard, not his best game I will say. You know, not a game where we were able to get him on the ball in good areas. More so in the second half. I thought Declan Rice was excellent. You know, in the 91st minute I saw him make a sprint back and that's what he gives you. These Premier League games, as we saw with another late winner today, are true 90-minute affairs. Substitutions are important. You know what else is important? A player that you can bank on for 90 minutes to give you absolutely everything. To have an incredible energy engine, to show amazing stamina, to not need to be substituted and yet still be covering every blade of grass in stoppage time. I think Declan Rice is absolutely that guy. Eddie Nketiah worked hard. I think the biggest cheer of the first half was for an Eddie Nketiah tackle. Worked hard but I thought it was really interesting when Havertz came on. He gives us another dimension in attack with his height, his aerial ability. I still think that's his best use at Arsenal. An alternative number nine. Perfect, perfect illustration of that today. You know, coming on late in the game, providing an option, having the layoff for Martinelli. That's a bigger moment for Havertz than any penalty against Bournemouth, I tell you. To contribute, have the assist for a Martinelli winner against Man City. Huge moment. Trossard was quiet, withdrawn from Martinelli who just brings that spark straight away, had the crowd off their feet. Really helped. And on the right-hand side, Gabriel Jesus. I've long said, Arsenal's best alternative to Bakayo Saka in the right-wing position is Gabriel Jesus and he showed it today in the position that he played so many times for Man City. A bit of smoke and mirrors about will Saka be available, will he not? He wasn't in the end. Let's hope he sits out this international break, gets some proper rest and can come back after the break refreshed. Oh man, big day today. We've waited a long time for this. What is it? 12, 15 games that we've not beaten Man City. A draw would have been all right. A win is excellent. A win is excellent. I think it will really inject some belief into the players, into the fans, that this could be a really positive season. A few guest stars today, who can blame them? Who can blame them? I'll send them their percentage of their YouTube ad revenue. Listen, we thoroughly enjoyed that guys and any win against Man City is tremendous. To win it late on, albeit via deflection, we'll absolutely take it. We should have been against 10 men for the majority of this game. We weren't. We had to play 11 and the fact that we beat them anyway, means all the more. Like the cap says, let's do this guys. Season's properly started. Here we go. Speak to you all soon. Bye-bye.