EXCLUSIVE: Alan Smith Issues Verdict On Whether Man City Can Catch Arsenal After Defensive “Frailities” Are Exposed
Ex-Arsenal striker Alan Smith says his former club now have a strong advantage in the title race after Man City’s recent slip-ups.
Speaking exclusively to Man City News (courtesy of Best Betting Sites UK), Smith predicted that the Gunners could run away with things if Enzo Maresca‘s side can’t rectify their defensive issues:
“A few weeks ago they had a 100% record, and you thought, ‘Oh, wow’. But there have been one or two frailties, one or two mistakes. Marc Guehi’s been left out, which isn’t ideal for him, or for the message it sends out, really. So they are leaking one or two goals.”
“I said at the start of this season, I don’t like the phrase ‘it’s Arsenal’s to lose’, but if they continue in this vein, it’s going to be difficult, if you’re not right at it, to keep up with them.”
Man City need to find a balance
There is no doubt that Maresca has plenty of firepower at his disposal, but there will be times, such as against Brighton last weekend, when the attack isn’t firing, and on those occasions, you need to be able to rely on your defence.
However, so far this season, the Cityzens have not looked particularly secure at the back, which is in stark contrast to their title rivals.
Arsenal showed in their 1-0 win at Anfield that they can stay strong for 90 minutes in one of the most difficult grounds to play at in the country. City need to find a better balance so they can, at the very least, secure narrow victories or even draws if things don’t go quite to plan.
Who do City and Arsenal face over the next 5 league games?
Maresca’s men play Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in their last game before the international break. Their four subsequent fixtures are against Fulham (h), Arsenal (a), Leeds (h) and Brentford (a).
The Gunners, meanwhile, take on Hull City at the Emirates this weekend, before playing Newcastle (a), City (h), Brentford (a) and Tottenham (a).