Jamie Carragher emphasized Manchester City's strategic victory in the midfield battle against Arsenal, which significantly contributed to their crucial win. City's 2-1 triumph at the Etihad Stadium has narrowed the gap with leaders Arsenal to just three points, with City having a game in hand, setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion to the Premier League season.
Carragher praised the outstanding performances of City's experienced midfield duo, Rodri and Bernardo Silva, who outmaneuvered Arsenal's Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi. According to Carragher, 'Rodri and Bernardo Silva delivered one of the greatest pair performances I've seen in the Premier League. The game was won in midfield.' Initially, Arsenal's press was effective, winning possession in the final third six times within the first 15 minutes, the most by any team in the Premier League this season. However, Rodri and Silva's bravery in taking possession by dropping deeper changed the course of the game.
'Silva and Rodri ended up in the back four, taking the ball and acting like centre-backs,' Carragher explained. 'They demonstrated real courage by getting on the ball, being brave, and then playing through Arsenal's press.' Despite facing City's four-man press before, Arsenal were unable to match Rodri and Silva's ingenuity and opted to go long from goal kicks.
Carragher noted, 'There's a lot of talk about Arsenal being adventurous, but that was without the ball.' He highlighted the difference in Arsenal's setup from the Carabao Cup final a couple of weeks prior, where Saliba and Mosquera had different positions. While Rodri and Silva were willing to go into the six-yard box to dribble the ball out from goal kicks, Arsenal struggled to play out despite having a three-man advantage. Carragher stated, 'It's easy to have courage without the ball, but the courage to get the ball in your six-yard box off your goalkeeper in a game of this magnitude is outstanding.' He emphasized that the big difference in the game was Manchester City's courage with and without the ball, which Arsenal lacked.
Carragher also pointed out Zubimendi's role in Cherki's opening goal, where the Arsenal midfielder helped crowd out Cherki but then failed to prevent him from scoring in a near-identical situation. In the build-up to City's second goal, Zubimendi gave away possession with a ball forward that went through to Donnarumma, allowing the goalkeeper to set City off on an attack.
Carragher criticized Zubimendi, saying, 'He is a European champion for Spain, but that's not good enough. That's what you're in the team for, that's what you've been bought for.' Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola praised Bernardo and Rodri, stating, 'They have been very important in the last few games. They are experienced and have huge personalities in the team.
They can man-mark, have composure with and without the ball, and are not young guys anymore. They are experienced and have played a lot of these types of games.'