Paid back with Interest, 4-2 loss to Man City.

Some may have been happy with the sale of Adebayor, I for one was not, especially at £25m to the worlds richest club. The numbers do not lie, he scored 24% of the teams league goals in the last two seasons. Some may be angry at his celebration and provocation, but some Arsenal outlets were proud to say he was a cancer and we never needed him now that the goals were being shared around the team. The fact remains, unless you have players who can score every game, and in the tight games, you need a striker, Arsenal lacked that today. We should not have given Man City and Adebayor the platform to do what they did today.


As for the match, well, a very very very poor performance. With the squad already being stretched with injuries, we cannot employ the new 4-3-3 to the same effect if the primary players are not playing. The goals we conceded, well all collective mistakes. The first, why did the team allow a routine ball into the box, have they not learned that this is a weakness that time on the training ground will fix? Almunia was very casual as well, and put the ball in his own net, a big shame.


The second, a very lazy pass from the captain, and Clichy being over enthusiastic set the pieces in motion, there was complacency again collectively in not all going back to stop the impending danger, and another goal, very simple.


The third, Clichy went diving into a tackle, he never came out with the ball, then Gallas and Vermaelen never spotted Adebayor in acres of space, the dive by Almunia was in slow motion as well, another easy goal.


The fourth, Clichy over ran the ball, had it stolen, Man City jogged with the ball up the field on a counter attack, Rosicky who was fresh never tracked the dangerous runner, and Wright-Phillips chipped home. Where were the covering runners in midfield? See a pattern?


For these goals, were Arsenal undone by extraordinary skill or moves? No, basic elementary mistakes, lack of team work as well. Collectively they never fought back to show who was boss. To be a champion, you give your best to the end, and yet again, we already saw the players give up with 10mins to go. Fabregas should be the last one to give up hope, yet again he was the first. Collectively, if Arsenal do not defend as an entire unit, we will continue to leak goals, we are already on 8 goals against, not good at all.

Ratings.

Almunia 2: Very poor the the first, no authority over team mates, could have done something for the third and fourth strikes.

Sagna 3: Still crosses to nothing, until that changes, he should stay at the back and not come forward, it is simply losing possession with his crossing ability.

Clichy 2: Three goals have his fingerprints all over them. He needs to calm down and measure his game, you will never see Evra give up such incidents that lead to goals.

Gallas 3: Comes forward looking for goals, but as the last line of defence that ships 4 goals in one match, you can never be praised.

Vermaelen 3: His poorest display in an Arsenal shirt. Maybe the hammering by Spain last week is still in his system.

Song 3: On the counter, we were skinned, he needs to fall deeper if he knows he has no pace. Also beaten very easily by Richards for the second.

Fabregas 2: Poor pass that led to the second, not at the races. As a captain, we need him to fight to the 95th min, he looked like he gave up at the 80th min. Is the captaincy a burden too much for him?

Denilson 3: Not much to say, not visible, but not a disaster unlike others. Still plays with guts.

Diaby 2: He needs to bring his A-game, we saw glimpses of his undoubted ability, but he is not good enough to play well for 10 mins out of 95mins. He needs to play well for 95mins.

Bendtner 3: Played well over the internationals as a central striker, deployed on the flank for his club. Lots of effort, not much quality output.

Van Persie 3: Not involved, keeps smacking the woodwork. Not sure he can be the central striker the team needs to score goals.

Rosicky 2: Nice to see the talented player back, especially with a goal, but watch the second and fourth goals, he was fresh and never bust a gut to get there before the attacker. We need the whole package Tomas.