A look at the Manchester City starting line-up against Bayern Munich at the Allianz arena for their final group stage match would have left the taste of home concocted sugar-salt and warm water ORS (Oral rehydration Salt) in any Arsenal’s fan chops.
Pep Guardiola’s Munich machine was going to chew this version of the Manuncian blues to bits: No Yaya Toure, no Sergio, no Negredo, no Kompany. For a team struggling on its travels, having the spine of the team absent while away to the Ribery charged, Goetze engineered seven star UEFA Champions League defending champions was sure to be suicidal.
Pellegrini’s men to do the German job of a two goal margin win, that would see Manchester City take control of the group and land a favourable draw in the last 16; included just a recovering Silva, a Dzeko with bench imprints on his tooche, a beleaguered Joe Hart and the supporting cast of the likes of Jesus Navases,Kolarovs and Lescots.
Just?
Arsene Wenger has raised concerns about the scheduling of Arsenal’s pre Christmas matches which sees Arsenal face the 2011-12 Premier League Champions early Saturday having traveled to Naples for a crucial champions league game where a three nil loss would mean relegation to the Europa league despite the impressive 12 points accumulated so far in the group stage. Having played a day early on Tuesday and as hosts on Saturday, Manchester City has the edge, logistically, over Arsenal.
A rejuvenated Yaya Toure ready for the wizard of Oz, Rambo, Arteta, asante Cazorla and company wouldn’t do no harm to the cause. Besides, it was about time to unleash the full armor jacket: the 1 billion pound squad. The FA cup having snaked itself up the lower rungs of English football had romped into town with the third round draw last weekend; this, itself a surrogate marker that the season had matured with games coming thick and fast. Not just games, but big mama important games like the lunchtime Arsenal visit where a loss would see Manchester City with the considerable ground of nine points off the league leaders.
On the night, Pellegrini’s squad tinkering lent his subtle contribution to the needless debate on the oomph and credibility of Arsenal’s title challenge. It is worth noting City’s unparalleled home record with Moyes’s Manchester United and Bale-less Tottenham being stripped naked and slaughtered, respectively, at The ETIHAD a few moons past.
Over in Munich, the score line at 12’ threw mud on Pellegrini’s name, affording him to seat at the Moyes-AVB-Allardyce-Martin Jol poorly lit table by the toilet door. Pep didn’t even afford a smile when Muller beat the offside trap, steal off Kolarov’s shoulder to chest down and find the far bottom corner, off Dante’s diagonal ball barely 5’ in. He was better bothered when eight minutes of possession play pinned City back pressuring a corner off them, which found its way in via Goetze after hesitancy in the City box 12’ in. 2-0 to Bayern Munich.
59’ : 2-2 stood the score. Impressive display by Manchester City? Truly a class act in comeback play by Pellegrini’s men. A lesson on taking chances that come your way, refusing to be cowed down, by just ploughing at it. You could sense the misguided cockiness in Bayern’s play was getting to Pep with his agitation by the byline as early as the 24th minute. By the 28th, Jesus Navas’s cross found its way to the back post for Milner to head it back across onto Silva’s boot for City’s opener. The equalizer? A rather soft penalty off Dante on Milner for Kolarov to burry it home.
62’: A silva-Navas interplay results in a speculative cross across the face of goal for Milner to smash back the way it came. 2-3 to City
Damn! Bayern made Milner look really really good. Heck! There’s hope for England after all.
Let’s see how Wenger balances between qualifying (and topping the group of death) and preparing for Saturday with his team selection tomorrow. Cheers!
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