London - Arsenal menjalani sebuah era baru di Liga Inggris 2018/2019 setelah tak lagi dilatih Arsene Wenger. Tapi gara-gara Manchester City , zaman baru itu dimulai dengan kekalahan. Untuk kali pertama dalam lebih dari 20 tahun, Arsenal menjalani laga Liga Inggris bukan bersama Arsene Wenger. Sang Profesor sudah pensiun musim lalu, dan kini The Gunners menjalani zaman baru bersama Unai Emery . Emirates Stadium, Minggu (12/8/2018) malam WIB menandai dimulainya era baru tersebut. Arsenal mengawali Liga Inggris dengan menjamu sang juara bertahan Manchester City.
Alih-alih kemenangan, Arsenal tumbang 0-2 oleh City. Sebuah hasil yang menurut Emery sulit untuk mereka hindari. "Kami ingin memulainya (era baru) di sini bersama para suporter. Kami ingin menunjukkan performa kami. Kami ingin menunjukkan performa kami, tapi jelas, menghadapi Manchester City kami tak bisa memberi suporter kemenangan. Tapi saya pikir di sini kami bekerja dengan baik," ucap Emery di BBC. Selain City yang kelewat dominan, Emery mengaku kalau skema permainan yang sudah direncanakan tak berjalan mulus. Kondisinya baru berubah di babak kedua. "Di babak pertama kami tak bermain seperti yang kami inginkan. Saya berbicara dengan pemain saat jeda, tentang mengambil lebih banyak tanggung jawab, berupaya sedikit lebih baik lagi." "Kami ingin membangun serangan dengan menguasai bola dan mematahkan pertahanan kereka. Saya pikir di babak kedua kami bermain sepeti yang kami inginkan," ucap Emery.
London - Misi Manchester City mempertahankankan gelarnya dimulai dengan impresif. Melawat ke markas Arsenal , City membuktikan diri masih terlalu tangguh usai menang 2-0. Bermain di Stadion Emirates, Minggu (12/8/2018) malam WIB, City membuka keunggulannya lewat gol Raheem Sterling di sepertiga awal babak pertama. Bernardo Silva memperbesar skor City sekaligus memastikan kemenangan atas tim tuan rumah dengan golnya di babak kedua. Statistik ESPNFC menegaskan keunggulan the Citizens atas Arsenal. Tim besutan Josep Guardiola itu lebih unggul penguasaan bola dengan 58% dan menciptakan 17 percobaan (8 mengarah ke gawang). Di sisi lain, the Gunners membuat 9 percobaan tapi hanya tiga yang mengarah ke gawang.
Atas hasil ini, City menempati peringkat kelima dengan tiga poin. Aguero cs mengikuti empat tim top lain: Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool dan Tottenham Hotspur yang memetik kemenangan di pekan pertama. Sementara itu, kekalahan ini membuat Arsenal berada di peringkat ke-15 tanpa poin. Jalannya Pertandingan Arsenal memulai dengan baik sehingga tidak membiarkan City mendapatkan ritme permainannya di menit-menit awal. Namun, perlahan City mampu keluar dari tekanan dan berbalik menyerang pertahanan tim tuan rumah. Sebelum pertandingan genap 10 menit, City sudah dua kali membahayakan gawang Arsenal. Di sisi kanan, umpan silang Kyle Walker langsung diredam Petr Cech. Selanjutnya, Raheem Sterling meliuk-liuk di dalam kotak penalti sebelum melepaskan sepakan keras yang lagi-lagi dihalau Cech. Usaha City membuahkan hasil di menit ke-14. Sterling menggiring bola, melewati beberapa pemain Arsenal sebelum menyelesaikan dengan tembakan dari luar kotak penalti. Cech tak punya kesempatan untuk menghentikan. City memimpin 1-0. City memaksa Arsenal semakin ke belakang. Meski begitu, Arsenal akhirnya mampu menciptakan peluang di menit ke-21. Hector Bellerin melewati Benjamin Mendy tapi tembakannya masih mengarah ke Ederson. Semenit berikutnya, Cech nyaris membuat bola masuk ke gawangnya sendiri setelah menerima backpass Matteo Guendouzi. Pelanggaran Sokratis kepada Sergio Aguero menghadiahi City tendangan bebas dari dalam area D. Riyad Mahrez melepaskan sepakan mendatar kencang, Cech tidak sempurna menangkap bola. Bola yang terlepas dicecar Aymeric Laporte, namun Cech masih bisa bereaksi cepat. Memasuki lima menit terakhir, Mahrez kembali mengancam gawang Arsenal. Dari sayap kanan, Mahrez melepaskan sepakan keras ke tiang jauh di luar jangkauan Cech, tapi bola masih melebar. Serangan balasan Arsenal membahayakan City. Di menit ke-44, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang menerima umpan silang dari sisi kanan yang diteruskan dengan sepakan kencang. Bola melebar jauh dari gawang yang dikawal Ederson. Selepas jeda, City masih terus menggencarkan tekanan. Keunggulan City hampir bertambah setelah tendangan Aguero dari jarak jauh tak bisa dijangkau Cech. Tapi gawang Arsenal aman karena bola melebar. Pemain pengganti Alexandre Lacazette nyaris membuat dampak instan. Sepakan kerasnya dari luar kotak penalti City melebar tipis. Penyelamatan gemilang Cech. Di menit ke-63, Aguero terbebas di depan setelah memanfaatkan kesalahan Guendouzi. Di kotak penalti, Aguero melepaskan tembakan tap Cech bisa menahan bola. Meski begitu, City akhirnya mendapatkan gol keduanya semenit kemudian. Mendy mengirim umpan silang ke dalam kotak penalti Arsenal yang diterima Bernardo Silva. Tanpa kawalan, Silva melepas tembakan melengkung yang bersarang di sudut atas gawang Arsenal. Arsenal 0, City 2. Aubameyang melepaskan tendangan lambung, melewati Ederson sehingga masuk ke gawang City. Akan tetapi, skor Arsenal urung berubah karena gol itu dianulir usai Aubameyang dinyatakan offside saat menerima umpan pemain baru Lucas Torreira. Kerjasama Mesut Oezil dengan Henrikh Mkitaryan menghasilkan peluang bagi Arsenal. Tapi tembakan gelandang Arsenal itu masih bisa diblok. Di masa injury time, Lacazette mencoba peruntungannya. Menerima operan Mkhitaryan, tendangan Lacazette melambung tinggi. Susunan Pemain ARSENAL: Cech, Sokratis, Mustafi, Bellerin, Oezil, Mkhitaryan, Ramsey (Lacazette 55'), Xhaka (Torreira 71'), Maitland-Niles (Lichtsteiner 35'), Guendouzi, Aubameyang MANCHESTER CITY: Ederson, Walker, Mendy, Laporte, Stones, Fernandinho, Guendogan, Mahrez (De Bruyne 60'), Bernardo Silva, Aguero (Gabriel Jesus 80'), Sterling (Sane 87')
There is clearly a lot more listening to do and a lot more practising before the side show what the Spaniard wants
The Emirates curtains raised to reveal the same well-worn set. There may be a new director orchestrating it all, and some new faces in the cast, but there was no escaping a rerun of a story in which the crowd knew chapter and verse.
They are not used to welcoming new managers in these parts and once Unai Emery made an understated entrance – timing his relaxed stroll out of the tunnel with one hand in his pocket as most eyes were focused on the teams lining up and the handshake music blared – new Arsenal segued into old Arsenal.
It soon became clear that different Arsenal was actually an accurate reprise of familiar Arsenal. Emery has promised work, and plenty of it, but with the best will in the world remodelling this group of players was never going to happen over a few summer weeks.
A newly erected banner inside the stadium bore a picture of Emery accompanied by the message “To The Next Chapter”. Otherwise there was no official introduction, no big announcement over the PA, no moment where the Spaniard felt it right to stride on to centre stage to wave to the fans. Not his style.
Perhaps also, not something he wanted to do before a game he recognised would be challenging against opponents whose slickness and serenity make them so powerful. Manchester City’s strength was emphasised as they sent Kevin de Bruyne, Gabriel Jesus and Leroy Sané on as substitutes in a game they were winning comfortably. All judgment on Emery’s “new way” needs measuring in that context. Perspective, as well as patience, is a must.
Emery’s first act once he set foot on the sidelines was to make a beeline for his City counterpart, clasping hands warmly with Pep Guardiola and his staff before finding his new seat in the dugout. In all honesty, given the circumstances, here was perhaps the last manager on earth he wanted to meet at this particular moment. Emery found his seat, looked around a little anxiously and offered a quick thumbs up.
It was strange seeing someone other than Arsène Wenger there. Emery certainly cut a different figure in the technical area. While Arsenal had become accustomed to their manager staying seated, Emery was up, visible, prowling his zone, proactive with his gestures, constantly pointing and offering emotional guidance with a steady-on palms out or a cajoling clenched fist.
There was something profoundly alternative about the shape of the team he picked. Aaron Ramsey was stationed high up the pitch as an auxiliary forward alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, without the natural height or speed to reach any searching balls. Mesut Özil was initially positioned on the right of a midfield three with the debutant Mattéo Guendouzi and Granit Xhaka, playing quite deep and in a position where tackling and closing down was an expected part of his shift. It was different all right. It is not difficult to imagine what the audience reaction would have been had Wenger plumped for such a similarly experimental line-up.
It was a brave decision to hand a debut to the 19-year-old Guendouzi, who showed great promise in pre-season, but against City’s high-calibre movement and intensive attacks he had a lot on his plate. It did not help that some of the more experienced heads in midfield around him underwhelmed.
Emery has talked of how he wants his team to be “protagonists” but there was scarce evidence of Xhaka, Özil or Henrik Mkhitaryan showing the desire to force the issue here.
The new way did not stop that same old familiar feeling from washing over the crowd as they watched Arsenal concede with marshmallow softness.
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Raheem Sterling was allowed to drift across the edge of the penalty area and steer in what should have been a blockable or saveable shot.Bernardo Silva was free to time his run creatively before cracking in a second.
So much felt un-ideal. Trying to play out from the back with a 36-year-old goalkeeper having to learn new tricks to kick-start play through a scratchy defence is a big ask. The balance of the team was off in terms of attacking cohesion or momentum. All these issues felt doubly challenging given the settled class of the opposition, and the nervousness that gnawed at Arsenal.
Amid the overall reality check, there were some positive signposts to take forward. Emery was not afraid to make a big call in his line-up. He was happy to make a tactical substitution in the 55th minute – staggeringly early compared with what they are used to here. Lucas Torreira was bright and influential during his cameo. Stephan Lichtsteiner played with the personality expected – an example to the defenders alongside him.
“Listen to the manager!” implored an innocent voice as Arsenal chugged along to little effect. But it was abundantly clear that there is a lot more listening to do, a lot more practising, before there is a real sense of what Emery’s Arsenal might be capable of doing.
From the crowd there was almost a dash of sympathy infused into that realisation. If the crowd learned anything from this, it is that change will take time.
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Manchester City are set for a tough start to their league title defence as they face a rejuvenated Arsenal team this Sunday at the Emirates stadium.
A feisty clash is expected as new Gunners’ boss, Unai Emery, and Pep Guardiola go head-to-head for the first time in the Premier League. Previous clashes in the Spanish League saw Guardiola’s Barcelona dominating Emery’s Sevilla.
With fellow title contenders Manchester United, Chelsea, Spurs and the likes all starting out with victories, City and Arsenal will also want to follow suit.
Last season, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal were beaten home and away by City; and Arsenal will surely want to avoid that under the new coach.
Indeed, Guardiola faces a different task this time around, with long-time foe Emery now at the helm.
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