Man, that felt good yesterday, didn’t it?

After all of the hand-wringing about our lack of signings this month, after what felt like a very barren beginning of the year with us profligate in front of goal and virtually out of the two domestic cups, Arsenal turned up on a cold London February afternoon and delivered a precision cut to any lasting dreams Man City had of catching either us or Liverpool.

The second half was where nearly all of the action happened yesterday, but we have to ensure the formalities of the first half are talked through first, methinks. Arteta recalled a host of first-teamers to the starting XI and after his ban was rightfully overturned, in came Lewis-Skelly ahead of Calafiori. It was the right move not only because of what was to come in the second half, but also because his form is such that he’s absolutely earned a starting place in this side.

I was nervous before kick off. This may be an ‘off-the-boil’ Man City, but they are still the Champions, they still have quality players who can hurt you and they still have the air about them when it comes to some of the names on the team sheet.

Not defensively though. They may have welcomed back Stones, they may still have had Gvardiol and Akanji in that back line, but defensively they looked shaky and after two minutes we’d exposed that. I have absolutely no idea why Stones played the hospital pass he did across his goal to Akanji, but it was borderline suicidal, especially against an Arsenal side with whom Arteta has spent years drilling to win the ball high up the pitch. We did, Rice’s instant reaction to cushion the ball to Havertz was superb and we had our noses in front. It was the perfect start to what would become an almost perfect afternoon.

But after that, in that first half, we just sort…well…sat off a bit. City had no intention of pressing Raya and at times he just held the ball at his feet for 10, 20 or 30 seconds. We went long a fair bit to the battling Havertz and so did City. It was a tetchy and cagey game in that first half; two heavyweight boxers just circling the ring a bit and throwing out the occasional jab. Havertz should have scored after another City mistake and he will not be 100% happy with his missed chance in that first half – you simply have to hit the target when you’re in the position he is in.

But the thing about Havertz is that he never stops working. He chased, he provided an outlet, he ran the channels and he provided an out ball all day. And he was even granted another goal to his tally this season in that second half with a fine counter-attacking move that will have been the stuff of nightmares for Guardiola. Pep had said in the last week or so that he was worried about us and our strength in transitions and that’s just what happened in the second half.

Eventually.

Because before it could get really good, we had to suffer a bit, with the gents around me in Block Five all agreeing that in that first ten minutes of the second half we were just far too passive. We let City have the ball. We sat off in our shape. You just can’t do that against quality teams like City and the inevitable Haaland goal came. Saliba won’t be happy about how he was done a bit by Haaland’s movement there and as Mr ‘Stay Humble’ wheeled off in celebration to the travelling away fans. I had a worry that the game was going to turn now City had managed to draw themselves level.

I needn’t have worried too much though, because defensively City were all over the place. I’d looked on a few of their fan forums over the last couple of days and some of their fans had talked about how bad they are at the back, but I never really believed it until I saw it. Because we cut them apart time and time again yesterday. Sure, Partey’s goal had a touch of fortune about it and sure, it was a ‘buy a ticket’ shot that when they come outside of the box are always speculative. But Partey was given a fair bit of time to travel with the ball before he struck it and I just don’t see a City team of last year or the year before doing that like they did yesterday.

The timing of that goal was perfect. Two minutes after City had scored, we’d barely had time to get worried, we were back in front and then eight or so minutes later it was fairy-tale stuff.

Myles. Lewis. Skelly. Take. A. Bow. Son. Rice fed in a relatively simple ball and his shift of it on to his right foot and being shown inside would have been – you’d have thought the City players were thinking – enough to reduce any risk on their goal. Myles had other ideas and the way he wrapped his boot around the ball to curl it goalward on his weaker foot…**chefs kiss**.

Perhaps you could ask questions of the ‘keeper, but I’m not minded to take anything away from MLS today, then his celebration right in front of me – iconic. 

You want me to ‘sty humble? You wanna know who I am? Oh I’ll show you all right.

Even after his mimicking of the Haaland celebration, the look on his face as he stood up and looked up in to the crowd – quality. Loved it. What a gem of a footballer we have found from within Hale End. He’s keeping Calafiori out, for crying out loud and even if you park the goal and celebration fun, his defensive display was good and the way he was able to keep Savinho at bay defensively was certainly something for us to be happy about.

We weren’t done though – as you well now – and Havertz getting on the scoresheet was an important one I reckon. He still had a fair bit to do from where he actually struck the ball from the goal after Martinelli’s pass, but given he’d missed that sitter in the first half, it was maybe good that he did deliver a fine finish from a slightly difficult position. Yes he misses chances, yes, he’s not the elite finisher we all crave. But he’s now on 15 goals and five assists for the season and there is still plenty of football to play. Without Saka until probably April we are going to struggle to have two players who get 20 goals involvements in the season I think, and that’s probably what you need if you don’t have one 30-goal a season striker, but Kai is going to have done his bit I suspect and it certainly feels like he’s on track for 20 goals this season. Last season in the Premier League he got 13 goals and in all competitions he got 14 goals. In his best season in the Premier League in 2021/22 he got 14 goals and five assists in all competitions. That was in 47 matches in total and this season he’s surpassed that tally in 33 matches. So he is – to be fair to him – doing his bit.

As is Ethan Nwaneri, who capped off a wonderful afternoon for us and a great week for him by following up his Champions League goal with another one that is starting to become his superpower right now. Cutting inside, curling ball in to the far corner. This kid is going to be a superstar. 

And it’s a good Monday for all Arsenal fans. I absorbed a heck of a lot of Arsenal #Content last night and I’m going to intermittently be doing that today for sure. It’s Transfer Deadline Day and the club needs to make moves on this Monday, but at least we can do it against the backdrop of a brilliant win against what used to be the best team in the country.

Catch you all tomorrow.