It was truly freezing as I took my place in the front row of tier 20, seat 395. The sounds of Cypress Hill echoed round the fast filling stadium, Gunnersaurus Rex was doing his rounds, and debates over team selection was rife. It was Arsenal vs. Man City, a Carling Cup Quarter final, and it was to be an interesting night.
Team news began to filter in, and it seemed Arsenal's kids were to get further experience. Frimpong, Coquelin, Miquel and Oxlade-Chamberlain took their place on the pitch. Chamakh and Park started up front in what was an almost completely changed line up from the team that drew with Fulham on the weekend. Only Johan Djourou kept his place, as Wenger stuck to his policy to blood his youngsters and give his reserves a chance to impress.
Mancini's City has enormous squad depth, and this was evident in the team selection, as Dzeko, Nasri and Adam Johnson all started. Hargreaves, De Jong and Kolo Toure were also on the team sheet, as City exhibited real intent even before the kickoff.
With the tragic death of Gary Speed on the weekend, it was only fitting that kick off was delayed to observe a minute’s silence in memory of an outstanding footballer and human being. Two sparrows could be seen dancing above the prone and silent stadium as both sets of fans united together to remember. It was a touching moment when the silence was tastefully broken with applause. Football never forgets.
The first quarter saw Arsenal adopt a very physical approach to counter-act City's dynamism and guile. It was fascinating to see Wenger's team, so often the epitome of fast, beautiful football, take up a completely different style. Frimpong was a dominant force in midfield, his muscular frame saw him able to win the majority of loose balls and provide Arsenal with the opportunities to attack. Oxlade-Chamberlain had an excellent shot tipped round the post, and Park was unlucky not to finish off a sweeping move. On the 32nd minute, on came Sergio Aguero. Aleksandar Kolorov, ineffective as a winger, was withdrawn for the Argentine. The £38 million man's introduction was to make the night even chillier for Arsenal fans.
The second half saw a continuation of the first, with Arsenal's youthful lineup capably thwarting everything City had to offer. Nasri was the pantomime villain of the piece; with his every touch greeted with a torrent of boos and whistles. Dzeko ran gamely, but for all City's movement, there was always a red shirt pressuring and harassing. Oxlade-Chamberlain began to come into the game, and start to give Zabaleta real problems on the right. Wenger sent Gervinho on to try and force through the goal Arsenal's perseverance deserved, but it was in vain. Dzeko and Johnson linked up in a devastating counter-attack, and provided Aguero with the chance to win the game in the 83rd; a chance he duly took, finishing with aplomb past the despairing Fabianski. It was a real shock. For all of Arsenal's efforts, it looked like victory had been snatched from them. The final ten minutes were tense, but ultimately fruitless for Arsenal. But there was time for one final chance. It fell to forgotten man Chamakh, but his half-baked attempt at a diving header saw the chance pass him by, and condemn the London club to a Quarter Final defeat.
Man City had claimed London for the evening, and this was most evident on the tube home. Fans wearing the blue white had the trains physically shaking! I learned lots of interesting City songs and shared some views on Balotelli and the upcoming showdown with Bayern Munich. City were into the Semi Finals, and their season goes from strength to strength. For Arsenal, they will pick themselves up and prepare for the weekend. We will have to see what the future holds for these two very different giants of the English game.
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