WHO CARES ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT! Man City 0-0 Arsenal (Rant)

So let me get this straight. You want Mikel Arteta to go gunshot for gunshot with Manchester City just to entertain you lot without leaving the Etihad with something. Are you not entertained? In fact, a lot of neutral football fans aren't. That's why I'm making this video. Now I get it. Arsenal are the top scorers in the Premier League. We've shown, despite not having a recognised striker, we're sharing the goals. We're entertaining the world of football. I get it, if I was sitting in you lot's shoes and I'm seeing Mikel Arteta and what he's doing at Arsenal Football Club and what he's projected to achieve, not just at Arsenal, but in his career and what Pep Guardiola has been for the last, I want to say 10 years, but probably 20 now, across Barcelona, Manchester City, sandwiched in between that Bayern Munich. I get it, especially after how the Premier League has kicked off or better yet recommenced after the international break. There's been a lot of high scoring games and high quality games. Now, entertainment does win trophies. Entertainment doesn't get you points. It was dramatic in the Newcastle West Ham game, for example. But do you think David Moyes will be happy that he entertained you lot and didn't get three points? Again, Eddie Howe with all the injuries and all of that sort of stuff, I'm sure he would be happy, but he would have liked a cleaner and crisper performance. Defence wins titles. Boring, boring Arsenal. These are things that have been attached to my club and connotations that are with my club. Do I want to over-hype a draw and move excited and things like that? No. The things I'm happy about is that people sit here and say Mikel Arteta has not got a plan B. You look at how we played last season versus this. I think that shows that there is a plan B and there's other functionalities. I think a lot of people forget. Obviously, we've got Paka'i Osaka, Kai Havertz is in a rich run of form, Trosser, Martinelli and Odegaard. We've got some wonderful players, inverted full-backs. When we do turn it on, we play some great football, but that's not going to win trophies. We have to perform with a plan B. We actually stifled Manchester City at times three when it comes to Haaland, so that tells you that there is something in this regard. Do I think Arsenal could have went for the win a bit more? There could have been a bit more courage in that regard? Yes, 100%. Do I think City were at their sparkling best in the final third? No, I think something was off in both teams. But to know that we have not conceded a goal against Manchester City, that we've beaten them at the Emirates and obviously got something at the Etihad, I love that really and truly. If you're not going to score, don't concede. If you're not going to win, don't lose. Live to fight another day. Had we have lost this game, you know the connotation. Psychologically, we're battered, we can't get in, we can't get near City, blah, blah, blah. I was about to say win, it definitely wasn't. This performance for me was positive because it showed me once again something we've seen probably in the, I would say the last three years, the year we bottled fourth, but really in the last two years, in that as much as we're asked, we want to play with a swagger, two-touch, one-touch, great football, set pieces, all of these things. There is a willingness from these players and I'm not just focusing on the defence. Big up Gabriel, Saliba, even Raya. The only criticism I can have of Raya against Manchester City is him and Bukayo Saka in particular. They need new boots, they were sliding all over the place. But Gabriel, Saliba, Declan Rice, Kyrgios for the moments played, Tomiyasu off the bench, Benjamin White, you know, every player defensively. I know someone like Gabriel Jesus is going to get a lot of stick in a game like that. But look how he played, putting in a defensive shift, a willingness to remain rigid, to remain compact, to be unbreakable really and truly. And I'm not being funny, but a lot of people sit here and say, Arsenal came to stink out the place, low block, mid block, this and that. Why would we not find a game plan that is best suited to stifling the quality that Manchester City have, especially because they've got Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne now, which they didn't have at the Emirates. It does not make sense. And I'm also not being funny, but nobody can sit here and do this to me as an Arsenal fan, because nine times out of 10, we are playing mid and low blocks teams that don't want to play football and give us space. Rightly so, I'm not criticising them. Why would you do that? This showed me that Mikel Arteta can have an unsexy plan B and live to fight another day. This is why our top six record is decent. This is why the metrics in terms of goals scored, set pieces, all defensive ilts, clean sheets are all improving. The next step is to win at Anfield, to win at the Etihad, to get away with a couple of those individual moments, to create a bit more. Because if there was a bit of improvement for me, I think that the team shape was good. The commitment to just defending and mopping up was good. To know that we can withstand pressure away from home against a team that is typically superior than us is good. But the next step is for us, obviously, for me to believe that we can get the win. I don't think we were scared, but I think across the game, there was moments, especially in the second half, every 10 minutes, was gambling, was pressing a bit higher. People were joining the press to try and nick it high up the field against Man City. Of course, you know, if Trossach finds Martinelli, if Gabriel Jesus stops dropping shoulders and wants to bag, if we create more as a team, then we might get a bit more. And I guess that's the next steps of improvements. But the game plan worked. You know, again, we don't know how the season's going to pan out. But to have a record we have against the top six, it's crazy really and truly. Of course, I agree the next steps because it's a bit different. But in terms of finishing, not that we created much, it felt a bit like how the December period felt in that you just wish you had a little striker that is a bit clinical and a bit proven in that regards and can just do something individually and score a goal. But I'm happy with the defensive performance. I can't just praise the defenders because even people can say what they want about Gabriel Jesus, go and watch the game again, which I've done. He put in a shift defensively. Kai Havertz, who's isolated, he put in a shift defensively. Every player really and truly. And crucially, we're living to fight another day. And this is about the next steps of improvement for Arsenal. You look at Jurgen Klopp when he walked into Liverpool, to when they actually won the Premier League and the Champions League. You even look at Pep Guardiola's development from being the Manchester City boss and winning the treble, from 100 points to winning the treble. They have all been because of game management, because of being proactive and being good defensively. Klopp used to go gung-ho from minute zero to 90. Liverpool kind of changed that, if I'm honest with you. So I think our territory has shown we can compete. Again, if we want to win a league title, of course, I want to go to the Etihads and the Anfields and believe we can get something. But our top six record is great. We've gone to Anfield and left with something. We've taken four points off Liverpool, taken four points off City. We might not win the Premier League title. Klopp is a big dog in this, and so is Pep. But to show that we can compete, to show that we're moving into that, is great. And as I said, the willingness from all these players, because Arteta can have all the game plans he wants. If these players are not smart enough and brave enough to do what needs to be done, which again, nine times out of 10, we're not just going to sit... And it weren't just that, but we're not just going to sit in shape for 90 minutes. We stand pressure and ride our luck. If other teams did that against Man City, they'd say, oh, they found a way to stifle them and all of this crap, which we did. Don't get it twisted. City are still in the title race. Arsenal are still in the title race. Liverpool are laughing. They're the real winners of the weekend. And it could easily end up in London, in Liverpool or Manchester City. But to know my team can compete and learning lessons and getting over the mental block, because last season we crumbled there. Again, while I think if you're honest with yourself and you watch that game again last season, Man City-Arsenal, it wasn't just because of Rob Holden. There was aspects that we could have done better. If every player could say they gave 100% despite Rob Holden, then yes. But it was a big factor. When Arsenal fans are sitting there and saying, listen, even the players have been saying it. But when Arsenal fans are telling you, listen, we needed Saliba, we needed Gabriel, and they gave Haaland a tough time. Our midfield stifled Kevin De Bruyne, really. You know, what did he really bring to the table? Bernardo Silva, quality player, Kirill dealt with that. Yeah, he got cooked one, two times, but he won the war. Benjamin White, no change out of him. You know, Doku came on, little bit of nerves, no change out of him. We defended to the point where 100 million club record signing Jack Grealish is being spoken to like a disappointed, Pep speaking to him like a disappointed dad speaking to his son after a Sunday league game. Haaland's head loss, I don't know if he's, if it's camaraderie with Gabriel or something. But yeah, you know, for me, this was, you now see the culture shock. You could hear it from the City players speaking about it, like how Arsenal play and things. It's like they thought we was going to turn up and bend over backwards as we typically normally do. Again, I want to see us attack more on another day, but that performance was so boring, so, so ugly. It was beautiful, really. Both teams cancelled each other out. As I said, I do think there was something like a spark that's been there in an attacking sense from us and also a spark that's been there from Manchester City. But what really and truly did Man City create? It was a stalemate. And on another day, both teams probably need to improve at that. And I'm sure that's something Arteta and Pep will speak about. But what did City, what heart and mouth moments were there? You know, when I watched the game again, of course, first time, emotions are everywhere. The only time I was really scared was Ake, you know, where he missed that header. Other than that, there weren't really anything. And that's not me picking up Arsenal, criticising City. That's just speaking about what's happening. A team like City that scored more goals than I can count against us in the last five years, let alone from when Pep's walked in there. This is what we needed to do, man. This is the first time against Manchester City, we've actually left two games across them with some face to save. You know, again, it's unheard of. Pep Guardiola's three scoring City side have not scored against Arsenal this season. That is crazy. And again, I keep saying it. Of course, there's been times we haven't played well this season. And I'm not saying Arsenal are the biggest and baddest in the world or the league, but this just shows me a lot of improvements we can make internally. Our worst enemy and best friends can be ourselves because against City, again, you can't just go off one game, but we've shown we can compete across two games now. And we can, you know, man-mark individually, collectively, we can do a thing that cancels them out. It's just now about getting goals because then it puts into practice. When you look at how the Spurs game went, when the Chelsea game went, the Aston Villa, the Newcastle, the West Ham at home, the Fulham's times too. If we could have just done better in those games, we might be laughing. You can't sit here and deny that Arsenal are developing something special and Mikel Arteta is creating something special. I'm not saying we're going to win the league and we're going to do this, that and the third, but there's no denying it. You know, they say the man ain't got a plan B, he probably wraps with a plan B. The goalpost moves, they start talking about entertainment. **** entertainment. You know, I don't want to, I mean, as an Arsenal fan, I'm never going to not miss the opportunity to but people will say, you know, that the fact that they still play that. Bearing in mind, we play low blocks all the time and we don't say anything and we've got one of the highest lines in world football. When, you know, Posto Koglu is attacking from minute zero to minute 90 the same way, or Brighton used to do it and sometimes, or Brentford as well at times, even Leeds, before they got relegated, they'd give everybody entertainment games. Are they walking away with things? People would say they're naive. Had we have gone gunshot for gunshot with City and whatnot, you lot would have said we're too naive, our tech is inflexible, the players are emotional and things like that. You know, let's make no mistake, this has been a culture shock for us, to a degree. This was the first time in a while this season, well, it is this season, where we've just sat back, exhaled pressure and had to just, you know, bob and weave really and truly. When have we done that this season? It hasn't happened, but I'm not here to seek validation from pundits, from media houses, from other fans. Everyone can have their opinions. It's true, it weren't entertaining, but you need to put in a couple of performances like this and performances like this, like in terms of what we did, it gives me confidence for if you go rock up at Bayern Munich away, regardless of their form in the Champions League, and if you go beyond that, it gives me confidence for the Premier League, what's left this season and beyond really, because unfortunately, for what, well, unusually would be the better word, I was really optimistic about the City game. I said I would take a point. A lot of fans didn't want to take a point, shows the raising of the standards at Arsenal. I thought we'd win 2-1. Obviously, there was no goals. You can forgive me for expecting goals. So yeah, had we have lost this title challenge down and all of these sort of things, had we have won, I think we would have got too excited, but we need to keep things into perspective. You know, nothing's decided, because at the end of the day, Liverpool are still top. And to be fair, you have to live dangerously. I know the difference is, I think the two draws this season between Liverpool and City, both teams have scored across those games. But I look back to, was it at Anfield? I'm sure it was at Anfield with Man City-Liverpool the other week. There was a point in that game, Liverpool really turned on the pressure cooker, like Liverpool really turned it on. The fans were behind them. It looked peak for City. City looked like some school kids up against grown men on the football field, but they remained pending. They defended. I know the pen shouts one thing, but they soldiered through. They got away with it. There was a humility with it and they lived to fight another day. When other teams do it, they're praised. As I said, I'm not seeking praise from no one. We're Arsenal Football Club. Don't care who likes us. Don't really care about none of that. It'd be nice if we were praised in the same way when we do bad things. We're killed in the press, but it is what it is. We know what we're doing. The manager knows what he's doing. The players know what he's doing. Let's just keep marching on, really. It's the same fans or the same pundits that wanted to do big, big analysis on Arsenal's title credentials. Are we good enough? Have we got the mental bottle? They're now flipping it and saying we're not entertaining. Where does entertainment win a season? Where? Because there was plenty of games across any team that's won a league where the games weren't entertaining. Entertainment doesn't win stuff. Entertainment doesn't etch things in history. Where you look at last season, we were an improved defensive side, but we were more on displaying great football stuff. There's been times we've matched City. Been an entertaining game, but City are City. Two chances. Boom. Gone. Narrative. Done. This season we've become a lot more boring and cerebral and you need to do that. Of course, you want to marry it together, be entertaining and be resolute defensively. And for me, with every performance or win or talking point that leads me in videos like this, it gives our players confidence to believe we're cool. The hard work still continues. We're doing the hard work. But as a result of the hard work we've done up until this point, we've dramatically changed our fortunes. We're in the room now. Liverpool and City are at the table. We need to take the food off the table. But we're in the room and we're doing good things. So I think the boys can look back with pride. That's the only looking back I want them to do because it doesn't mean anything now. You've got four points of City. You've got a courageous draw at the Etihad. That's fantastic. Now let's focus on Luton, on Brighton, on Tottenham away, on Man United away, on Aston Villa at home and so on and so forth. Because what we've got 11 games, 11 cup finals now. You've got two games, you've got nine games left in the Premier League. You've got two games against Bayern Munich. Hopefully we go further and nothing's decided. Let's keep pushing and big up, you know, big up Arteta as well. They say he takes long with the subs and all that crap. I think since the turn of the year, he's been really good with them. And I like the fact that he was proactive. Take nothing away from Kyrgios, who I feel started a bit nervous, but then grew into the game as soon as Doki came on. Tommy Asu, yeah, on you come. Very proactive in that regard, really. So, yeah, man, that's all I wanted to say. Just a couple of falling out talking points in relation to the game. Don't forget to subscribe, smash the like button and crucially, let me know your thoughts. God bless you all. I'm out.