On Saturday we switched things up a bit and headed to the blue side of Manchester once again to watch Manchester City vs Arsenal. It had been a long time coming but we were back at the Academy Stadium once more and I can honestly say I think it was our first visit since pre-pandemic, this game though was long awaited as it should have been played in September as the season opener, with how the teams have been playing this season though the excitement to head to this game has only just been building and we were looking forward to finally seeing how it played out. It is safe to say the game didn't disappoint and provided us with a 2-1 win in Manchester City's favour, a result which could make it even tighter at the top of the league as the season progresses.

These teams faced each other on Wednesday evening in the Continental Cup, where we saw Arsenal progress to the final in extra time, I sat and watched this game and have to say I wasn't impressed with either side especially not City who looked like they were off their game. They definitely made up for it on Saturday though with a fantastic performance where they looked fired up and ready to win which paid off as we saw them victorious on the day. 

City came out fighting from the very beginning and we saw the attitude paying off when Hemp opened the scoring just 4 minutes into the game, even so early on from the stands you were able to identify Arsenal's weak spots on the day and could see where Man City were going to be able to break through and take those chances on goal. The back 3 for Arsenal just wasn't working and City could see this was the case and just kept on applying the pressure getting into some fantastic positions on the pitch and creating plenty of chances. They could have easily added more goals in the opening 30 minutes of the game however, Shaw just couldn't hit the back of the net, something we aren't used to happening often this season as she is normally there on the score sheet. Just before half time though City did manage to double their lead with a goal for Chloe Kelly, she opened her league account the other week and are we now going to see her name on the score sheet more frequently? We all know she is capable of getting those goals. 

Souza managed to make the game 2-1 in the second half of the game but it wasn't enough to get a comeback on the cards for Arsenal, they just never looked like they wanted to level the score or push for a win and the game ended 2-1 to City. In the first half of the game Arsenal just didn't look like they could get going and to be honest they looked a little disjointed, the back 3 wasn't working and Williamson slipped into a midfield role and again it just seemed like the team couldn't keep up with City or even string passes together. They did perk up a little when McCabe & Walti entered the pitch at half time but it still wasn't enough to break down City who were putting in a dominating performance. The game did get a bit heated at times as you could see some Arsenal players getting frustrated with the teams performance but the referee on the day did well to break these moments up before they could get worse. 

This win could definitely be a big 3 points for City as they get back on track after a few disappointing opening games of the season. It is definitely a big 3 points if they are still looking to push for a Champions League spot which if they continue to play as they have been doing they could definitely still see as a realistic goal. On the other hand though could it be a big 3 points lost for Arsenal? Manchester United & Chelsea are starting to open up the gap between them and Arsenal as the fight for the top spot continues. Then there is also the case for staying in the fight for a top 3 finish to head to the Champions League next season, this result closes that gap between Arsenal & City and just makes every point that bit more vital as the season progresses. I know for sure though that I am really looking forward to seeing if this result does have an impact on who is in the top 3 come the end of the season, as the season progresses this result really does make it all to play for. 

Our player of the match for this game definitely has to be Lauren Hemp, from scoring the opening goal in the game she never looked like sitting back and really helped City created some great attacks whilst also breaking up a fair few of Arsenal's attacks. She helped create some brilliant build up play and caused Arsenal plenty of issues for the full 90 minutes. She really is having a great season so far and is going to be a key player as City push for Champions League football next season. 

We head into the first international break of 2023 now with plenty of competitions taking place around the world, let's hope we see player returning to the league injury free and ready to hit the ground running so the momentum of play we have seen across the league isn't broken and we see the season progress nicely with some tough competition. 

Don't worry next time we head to watch a game we will be back on the red side of Manchester.