It was a very big game in the context of the season for both Arsenal and Manchester City but it was the defending champions who came out on top. The match ended 3-1 in favor of City after a hat trick from striker Sergio Aguero.
Jamie Carragher, the former Liverpool player and current pundit took exception to the performance of Shkodran Mustafi. He was unimpressed with the way the German played and he made his feelings clear about it.
This is what he had to say as per Mirror:
“Mustafi has never been good enough since the day he walked in the door.”
“To see Arsenal defend like that, there’s a big job there for Unai Emery to do.”
Though it sounds a little harsh, there is some truth to what Carragher has said here. Mustafi is a talented player but he is too error-prone to find consistency and do well on a long term basis.
It is this facet of his game that ends up hurting the North London club a lot, especially in big games such as the ones against opposition with the quality of City.
Any team that has players like Sterling, Aguero and Silva are going to be a problem for even the best defenses and it was clear that the Gunners were not able to cope with the skill of the opposition.
Arsenal lost the game by two goals but to be honest, it could have been more as it was the performance of keeper Bernd Leno that prevented the scoreline from increasing.
The Emirates club now have to regroup and get over the loss and should focus on the next match. If they want to finish well in the league and qualify for the Champions League, it is absolutely essential to win as many games as possible.
Up next is Huddersfield in the Premier League and fans will be hoping that the Gunners will get back to winning ways. Both Manchester United and Chelsea are breathing down Arsenal’s neck for the fourth spot and the team has to perform at a high level.
