The Gunners engaged the Manchester City side in a pre-season under the tutelage of Spanish manager Pep Guardiola who all eyes is glued and waiting to see his exploit in the Premier League.
The Gunners were victors in the five goals thriller as they ran out 3-2 win over the Manchester City side. Goals came from five different players with Sergio Aguero and Kelechi (Promise) Iheanacho for City and Alex Iwobi, Theo Walcott and Chuba Akpom for Arsenal in the context as we look forward to the new season at the weekend with mouthwatering clashes set to take center stage.
The game was an opportunity for Guardiola to have a feel of how the Premier League battle may look light while Arsene Wenger would be eager to watch to know if some of his boys are ready for the big occasion. On this note we highlight the significance lessons from the Arsenal/Man-City game.
ARSENAL CONTINUES RUN OVER CITY
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| Sanchez was an influential presence for the Gunners in a second half that opened up despite a raft of substitutions. |
The Arsene Wenger’s men may not have won the Premier League but had a decent record against Manchester City. The Etihad side may yet win another Premier League but the edge exerted on them by Arsenal is very much evident for all to see. Last season the Gunners defeated City 2-1 at the Emirates with both sides sharing the spoils 2-2 at the Etihad.
This is a confirmation of Arsenal authority over the Manchester City side and once again even in the pre-season and under a new manager (Guardiola) the City side had fallen preys to the Arsenal side despite taking the lead through the lurking forward Kun (Sergio) Aguero.
The 3-2 defeat over City by Arsenal is a sure sign that the London Club are ahead of the City side on head to head as Wenger’s men continues to prove a hard nut to crack for the City fateful.
NIGERIA GOT TALENT
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| Alex Iwobi dragged Arsenal level when his low right-footed shot slipped through the gloves of Joe Hart after 50 minute. |
In the Arsenal vs. Manchester City game there were five individual scorers in the match to make it 3-2 in favour of Arsenal but out of the five of them three players are of Nigeria origin/descent.
They all include the Arsenal duo of Alex Iwobi (who is a nephew to former talismanic Super Player and Legend Austin Okocha) and Anglo – Nigerian forward Chuba Akpom (who is yet to decide internationally which country to represent between the English Team (England) or Nigeria) while the other scorer is ever promising, the youthful and reliable player Kelechi Iheanacho who all had a say in the game between some of the elites clubs in Europe.
The truth is that Nigeria is spoilt for choices as talent are continued to be unveiled yet again. With Iwobi, Akpom (who might commit to Nigeria any time soon possibly against Tanzania) along with Kelechi then Nigeria have all their talent ready to hatch into fulfillment as Nigeria is beginning the hit the headlines across Europe following the promising exploits of these youngsters.
AKPOM CONTINUES REDEMPTION
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| Substitute Chuba Akpom slots in Arsenal's third on the night before City grabbed a goal back in a lively end to the match. |
The return of Chuba Akpom to Arsenal raised some questions which are somewhat very much uncertain at the time of his return to the club following a season long loan where he helped Hull City side secure promotion to the Premier League alongside compatriot Omatsone Aluko, Uruguayan forward Abel Hernandez and Senegalese playmaker Mohamed Diame in the attacking position.
With the performance of the young forward Akpom in Pre-season where he scored four goals in four matches along with Iwobi in the last two (against Viking in the 8-0 win and 3-2 win over City) the forward is beginning to offer hope as solution to Arsenal’s attacking problem.
With the manager’s patience toward the young lad expect the player to enjoy a fine season at the club hopefully if eventually the club sticks to his services as the young forward Akpom is gradually on the road to redemption alongside youth teammate Alex Iwobi.
IHEANACHO IMPECCABLE POSITIONING
The goal scoring ability of youngster Kelechi Iheanacho was once again evidence as he positioned very well to get on to the Jesus Navas cross to nod home to make it 3-2 ensuring the game finished with all intensity and pressure.
The forward positioning must have raised positively and negatively as well as it was nice for the manager to see his player prove their mettle on the pitch which the young forward did with the close range header but the somehow negative is the reoccurrence of the question for the position best fit for the forward as such uncertainty can disrupt a manager squad definition in a season.
But which ever way lets us hope that the performance of Kelechi for Manchester City with more goals to his name with do more good than harm as we await to see his name on the headline of every news watch in European football as the season is getting set for kick off at the weekend.
