{"id":2946,"date":"2026-04-20T07:06:27","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T07:06:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/updatelive.online\/?p=2946"},"modified":"2026-04-20T07:06:27","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T07:06:27","slug":"arsenal-went-on-the-attack-and-it-was-best-theyd-looked-in-weeks-arteta-will-cling-to-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/?p=2946","title":{"rendered":"Arsenal went on the attack and it was best they\u2019d looked in weeks \u2013 Arteta will cling to that"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Shortly after the full-time whistle blew on Arsenal\u2019s 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, a weary team trudged over to the corner of the ground occupied by the travelling fans.<\/p>\n

Arsenal had lost the game, and yet another chunk of their diminishing lead in the table. It might have been nine points \u2014 it is now just three. It is an undeniably disappointing outcome and a considerable blow to their title hopes.<\/p>\n

But there was no mass walkout, no opprobrium. The away fans rose to salute their team with warm applause and chants of support. They still believe: this isn\u2019t over yet.<\/p>\n

In performance terms, this was Arsenal\u2019s most encouraging showing in weeks. As Arsenal feel City breathing ever closer down their neck, that is what they will cling to.<\/p>\n

After hosting Bournemouth last weekend, this was a second consecutive 2-1 Premier League loss \u2014 but a drastically different display. After last month\u2019s Carabao Cup final, this was also a second consecutive defeat by City, too \u2014 but this time Arsenal made a game of it.<\/p>\n

It was a different approach, too. With form, confidence and fluidity in short supply, most expected Arsenal to sit in and lean on their defensive nous.<\/p>\n

Instead, with Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard restored to the side, Arsenal were front-footed and aggressive in the press. Switching Eberechi Eze out to the left gave Arsenal better technical ability and ball-retention in the opponents\u2019 half. Odegaard dropped deep, helping Arsenal to play through a City press that they found impassable at Wembley.<\/p>\n

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\n Kai Havertz celebrates his equaliser against City (Stuart MacFarlane\/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe came here to win the game,\u201d manager Mikel Arteta said afterwards. \u201cThe message was clear from three days before. We prepared to do that, to take the game to the areas that we believe we could win it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve done it. So we proved that we are there. But the reality is in the two boxes today was a difference and that\u2019s what decided the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

Errant finishing meant Arsenal failed to beat City. But play like this, and they look like a team capable of beating Newcastle United, Fulham, West Ham United, Burnley and Crystal Palace in their five remaining Premier League games. Arsenal lost here \u2014 there is no escaping that \u2014 but looked more like winners than they have for some time.<\/p>\n

In the dressing room after the game, there was disappointment but no despondency. The focus turned to the five games ahead. \u201cIt\u2019s a new league now,\u201d said Arteta. \u201cThey have a game in hand. We have three points of advantage and five games to play, so everything is still to play for. So we know how much we want it and we\u2019re not going to stop and we\u2019re going to go again, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Arsenal manager insisted his own conviction has not wavered. \u201cI believe today, I believed on Wednesday, a week ago, because I see them every day and I know the level that we have,\u201d said Arteta.<\/p>\n

Of course, he has to say that. He can hardly say anything else.<\/p>\n

The worry for Arsenal is that if this game proved anything, it\u2019s that City are more ruthless, more clinical. Erling Haaland was the rightful match-winner, dispatching his goal with a surety that eluded Havertz on more than one occasion.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust look at the images,\u201d protested Arteta of some of Arsenal\u2019s near-misses. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible how the ball doesn\u2019t go in. So there is an element of luck. There is an element there of timing, of execution.\u00a0It\u2019s a lot of things that have to be your way. They didn\u2019t go our way, and we have to recognise that at the end, winning and not winning is going to come down to these moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

It is the trade-off Arsenal face when choosing between their two centre-forwards. Havertz\u2019s all-round game is excellent, but his finishing is not especially clinical. Gyokeres is a more natural goalscorer, but a less complete footballer.<\/p>\n

The ideal would be to have a player who offers both, but Arsenal weren\u2019t able to find one of those in last summer\u2019s market. Unfortunately for Arsenal, City already have the most obvious example. Arsenal will take comfort from the fact that they were at least able to fashion some chances from open play, rather than their characteristic reliance on set pieces.<\/p>\n

The tone of Arteta\u2019s press conference matched the reception from the away fans in being surprisingly upbeat. It is a necessity: they cannot mourn the points advantage they have lost, nor grieve for the opportunities to extend their lead that have passed them by. There\u2019s also the small matter of a Champions League semi-final to consider.<\/p>\n

Arsenal must simply look forward and embrace the challenges ahead. In spite of this defeat, they look better equipped to face them than they have for some time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shortly after the full-time whistle blew on Arsenal\u2019s 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, a weary team trudged over to the corner of the ground occupied by the travelling fans. Arsenal had lost the game, and yet another chunk of their diminishing lead in the table. It might have been nine points \u2014 it is now […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2947,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2946","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arsenal"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2946","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2946"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2946\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2947"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2946"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2946"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/updatelive.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2946"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}