兵器庫 are not going away this season, 令状s OLIVER HOLT after 肩書を与える tussle ends in 行き詰まらせる… gritty Gunners show they have finally escaped Pep's stranglehold

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The daffodils that （人が）群がる the central 保留（地）／予約 of Princess Road, the artery that flows into Manchester from the south and skirts Moss 味方する and Manchester City’s old home at Maine Road, are beginning to fade and wilt, the clocks have gone 今後 and, on Monday, April will be upon us.

It is the season of rebirth and English football is waiting for Pep Guardiola’s 味方する to put the 大打撃を与える 負かす／撃墜する and 加速する away from the 残り／休憩（する） of the field at the 最高の，を越す of the 首相 League because that, too, has become one of the 儀式s of spring in the age of sky-blue 支配.

City have not lost for 117 days so they are doing their bit but there is something different about this year. For all their usual indomitability, they cannot see their 競争相手s in the 後部-見解（をとる） mirror yet. Because something else has changed, too: 兵器庫 are not going away this season.

Sure, if anyone won this dour 0-0 行き詰まらせる at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon, it was Liverpool. If Jurgen Klopp was delighted at the end of his team’s 2-1 勝利，勝つ over Brighton a couple of hours earlier, he was even happier when this draw between his team’s two closest 競争相手s left Liverpool two points （疑いを）晴らす at the 最高の，を越す.

This game was enthralling at times and turgid at times. And if it was rarely thrilling, it was still a high-質 match between two 味方するs who looked so nervous of the consequences of losing that they were unwilling to commit everything to winning.

Manchester City and 兵器庫 行方不明になるd out on 最高の，を越す 位置／汚点／見つけ出す in the 首相 League after a 0-0 draw

Nathan Ake （機の）カム closest to breaking the 行き詰まる but his header was kept out by David Raya

Gabriel Jesus 麻薬中毒の an audacious 成果／努力 wide of the 近づく 地位，任命する against his former club

City were the more 肯定的な 味方する, of course. 兵器庫 退却／保養地d to a low 封鎖する and challenged City to break them 負かす／撃墜する. ‘When they hardly 許す you to enter the box,’ Guardiola was asked in the 圧力（をかける） 会議／協議会 after the match, ‘what’s the 解答?’

Guardiola barely 行方不明になるd a （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域. ‘Kill someone?’ he said.

Short of utilising that 選択, City 調査（する）d and 調査（する）d at the 兵器庫 defence without 存在 able to find a way through. Still, Guardiola was far from disheartened. He spoke eloquently afterwards about the inevitability of other 味方するs の近くにing the gap on City year-on-year but when he was asked who of the 最高の，を越す three were playing at the highest level, he was unhesitating. ‘Man City,’ he said.

It was way too 早期に for it to be a 肩書を与える decider but 兵器庫 stopped City 得点する／非難する／２０ing at home for the first time in more than two years. It showed a different dimension, a different level of grit and character to Arteta’s team. it will have left Liverpool and 兵器庫 more encouraged than Guardiola’s men.

It was at this 行う／開催する／段階 last season, don’t forget, that 兵器庫’s 肩書を与える challenge 崩壊するd. They had lost 3-1 to City at the 首長国s in February and then capitulated 4-1 to the 支持する／優勝者s here in April. If there was one thing to take away from this game, it was that the gap between these two teams has 狭くするd 意味ありげに.

兵器庫 （警官の）巡回区域，受持ち区域 City at the 首長国s in October and kept another clean sheet here. They have snapped the losing pattern against City and 解放（する）d themselves, for now, from Guardiola’s psychological stranglehold.

After the game, Arteta talked City up. ‘They are the best team in the world by far and they have the best 経営者／支配人 in the world by far,’ the 兵器庫 boss said. ‘To get anything here, you have to ask “are you ready to follow 30 passes and then when you lose the ball are you ready to follow 30 passes again?”’

Erling Haaland was shackled superbly by the 訪問者s, with William Saliba standing 会社／堅い

代用品，人 Jeremy Doku jinked の上に his left foot but bent his 成果／努力 wide of the 的

Leandro Trossard was 解放（する）d into space late on but his 発射 was straight at Stefan Ortega

兵器庫, who had won all eight of their 首相 League games in 2024 before this match and are still in the 追跡（する） to 解除する the 支持する／優勝者s League for the first time, look way too good a 味方する to 崩壊する now.

That is partly 負かす／撃墜する to the presence of Declan Rice and William Saliba, who was 負傷させるd for 兵器庫’s run-in last season. 兵器庫 parked the bus on Sunday afternoon and they parked it meticulously and efficiently. Even City could not find a way through.

And so the run-in quickens. Some say City have it easiest but the truth is, it is hard to 選ぶ when you analyse the fixtures of the 最高の，を越す three. So many games have hidden dangers at this 行う／開催する／段階 of the season. Liverpool have the advantage because they have the points on the board.

There were enthralling contests everywhere, most 顕著に between Rodri and Rice, who were, by some distance, the best players on the pitch. Gabriel 示すd Haaland out of the game, Ben White even managed to wear 負かす／撃墜する the brilliant Bernardo Silva in a war of attrition. That was 一般に 兵器庫’s modus operandi: they wore City 負かす／撃墜する.

City had begun the match still ruing the loss of players who 苦しむd 傷害s during England’s international break. Any team, however 深い its squad, is going to feel the absence of defenders of the importance of John 石／投石するs and Kyle Walker. City were also without goalkeeper Ederson again, even though there had been hopes he would be fit.

Gabriel Jesus, playing against his old club, was fortunate to escape a 調書をとる／予約するing inside the first three minutes for a 冷笑的な foul on Bernardo Silva after the Portugal midfielder slalomed through the 兵器庫 defence. A few minutes later, Jesus nearly made an 衝撃 at the other end, peeling away from Manuel Akanji at the 支援する 地位，任命する, taking a cross on his chest and ボレーing just wide.

City （機の）カム の近くに to 得点する／非難する／２０ing after 15 minutes when De Bruyne swung in a corner to the congested 近づく 地位，任命する area and Nathan Ake rose highest まっただ中に the hordes. Ake was only four yards out but he did not get the cleanest 接触する on his header and it 攻撃する，衝突する David Raya on the 膝 before the keeper gathered it gratefully.

Declan Rice and Haaland 戦う／戦い in midfield as both 味方するs struggled to 設立する a foothold

ツバメ Odegaard looked to keep 兵器庫 ticking but the 訪問者s were unable to find the 逮捕する

If City had not been 奪うd of enough defenders already, Ake limped off 中途の through the half to be 取って代わるd by Rico 吊りくさび. City’s patience began to be 実験（する）d as Bernardo Silva and De Bruyne were 支配するd to a 一連の fouls and the 審判（をする） Anthony Taylor’s yellow card remained resolutely in his pocket.

Half-chances were few and far be tween. One clever 兵器庫 move 設立する Jesus on the 辛勝する／優位 of the City area but he dragged his 発射 across Stefan Ortega and wide. The other 味方する of half time, Mateo Kovacic curled a 発射 just wide of Raya’s left-手渡す 地位，任命する.

Seven minutes into the second half, though, there were the first 調印するs that the match was coming alive. When Josko Gvardiol lost the ball 深い in his own half, ツバメ Odegaard worked it quickly to Bukayo Saka and Saka slid it across goal. It only needed a touch to finish it off but Jesus, 事情に応じて変わる in at the 支援する 地位，任命する, could not やめる 適用する it.

City tried to 攻撃する，衝突する 支援する and 兵器庫 削減（する） them 負かす／撃墜する with a quick-解雇する／砲火／射撃 一連の fouls that 特に enraged De Bruyne, who waved three fingers in the 審判（をする）’s 直面する to 示唆する he should show three yellow cards.

Ake was 軍隊d off through 傷害, meaning Pep Guardiola has lost another 重要な defender

Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, his former No 2 at City, 株d a warm embrace before kick-off

After an hour, Guardiola went for it. He brought on Jack Grealish for Kovacic and Jeremy Doku for Phil Foden, who had had a 静かな game. Arteta 反応するd with two like-for-like substitutions, bringing on Thomas Partey for Jorginho and Takehiro Tomiyasu for Jakub Kiwior.

Ironic 元気づけるs rang around the ground 中途の through the half when Mr Taylor finally brandished a yellow card, 調書をとる／予約するing Jesus for kicking the ball away. Jesus appeared to find his 警告を与える 激しく funny, as if Mr Taylor had told him a bad joke. His yellow card was long 延滞の.

Six minutes from the end, it seemed City might be about to break the 行き詰まる. Gvardiol flicked on a corner at the 近づく 地位，任命する and Erling Haaland ran on to it at the far 地位，任命する. Raya （機の）カム out to try to 封鎖する a 発射 but Haaland seemed to miskick the ball or 心配する a challenge from the goalkeeper that never （機の）カム. He failed to make 接触する with the ball. It was the game’s last chance.