A Little Belief Goes A Long Way ... City 2 vs 1 Arsenal

“What a comeback in the 2nd half! 😊😊 ”, Leroy Sane – 18/12/2016.

Goals; Sane (47), Sterling (71'); 


Line Up (4-1-4-1) (match ratings in brackets); 

Bravo (6)
Zabaleta (5.5), Sagna 45' (6.5)
Clichy (6.5)
Otamendi (6)
Kolorov (5.5)
Toure (7.5)
Sterling (8)
Fernando (7)
Silva (7.5)
Sane (8), (Navas 76' (6))
De Bruyne (8), (Iheanacho 84' (5.5))


Stats;Possession, 61%/39%; Shots, 14(5)/6(1); Corners, 8/1; Fouls, 9/13
Referee; Martin Atkinson (7)

Fabulous result and a great turnaround. But for a thirty five minute spell following the Arsenal goal (conceded yet again by being caught on the counter-attack), the City players and equally the fans, seemed to have lost belief in their ability to turn such a bad start around. A second goal at any time from Arsenal, would have opened up a chasm, not just in this game but in this Season's Premier league push. Despite the dominant possession everyone was waiting for another counter-attack, and for the misery to be confirmed. 

Perhaps we'd been brainwashed by the negativity which has surrounded us in the media since the result against Chelsea and Leicester, forgetting that had City taken their chances against the "runaway league leaders" they would have been deservedly well beaten. But the fact that City had not come back from losing at half time since 2012 loomed large as the players entered the tunnel, thankfully just the one goal behind.

Luckily the second half was a different game. Maybe Pep spiked the half time oranges, or threw a hairdryer, or whatever Pep does at half time, but whatever it was ... it worked, the belief was back. A couple of small team changes were made, Zabaleta was forced off through injury, and DeBruyne was tasked with the false 9 role, allowing Sterling and Sane to revert to their favoured right and left wings respectively. But more than that City showed passion and aggression, something sadly missing from the first forty-five.

Two minutes into the half and that aggression paid immediate dividends, Fernando seized on an Arsenal mis-control in midfield, forcing the ball to Silva who chipped over Koscielny, and Sane with his lightning pace ran through and calmly side footed the ball past Cech outstretched right hand, 1-1. It all happened so quickly there was still an air of disbelief, especially that the linesman had rightly not flagged for offside. But from that point on there was only one team going to win the game. City were quicker to the ball, more aggressive in the challenge, and simply wanted it more. It was fabulous to watch, especially against a side as accomplished as Arsenal; who were unable to find any rhythm, and in fact found it difficult to get out of their own half for long periods.

However, City had shown such dominance many times before this Season, their Achilles heal being an inability to convert possession into goals. So when the second goal came it was going to be something special, and Sterling certainly gave us that. On 71' Kevin De Bruyne, magnificent in the second half, floated a fifty yard pass from the left wing to the right, into the path of Sterling, who twisted one way then another to wrong foot Monreal before surprising everyone by cracking the ball low and hard into the right corner, 2-1, and the crowd went wild!

City could have made it three or four. De Bruyne's effort off the post from Jesus Navas' cross on 78' perhaps the best. The three points were well earned, giving City their second home win in a week, after previously not winning at home since September. It's going to be a long long haul to try and catch Chelsea, but having dispatched Arsenal whilst playing without two of their most important players, Aguero and Fernandhino, at least the team (and this particular fan) has again found some belief. #CTID.

@l0ngwayfr0mh0me