Arsenal hit another nasty bump in the early stages of the EPL, when the second side of Manchester handed us a defeat that both injures and insults.
The match played host to a variety of themes. The rise of a new power. Extravagance vs. frugality. The return of an ex-player. It was a recipe for dramatics, and in that sense it did not fail to disappoint.
It could have easily began with Arsenal taking the lead, but Gallas messed up a free header early on. Not soon after that, we were punished with another silly goal in Manchester when a Richards header bounced off the post, off Almunia's head, and into the goal. Arsenal's game was not quite poor, but not quite awesome either. It did not seem like equalising would be so easy, especially given the defensive qualities Man City were displaying.
It was great to see Rosicky back after such a long hiatus, and the man went about his job showing his skill on the ball that we've been missing for a while. Real dividends were paid when he found RvP in a good position, and the striker half-fell, and half-flicked himself into a shooting position and managed to produce a goal of supreme elegance without ever seeming to get his balance right.
At 1-1, and the attack clicking into gear, things were looking good for us. But Richards managed to skip past Song and feed Bellamy, who happily sidefooted his team back into the lead.
Arsenal tried to hit back, and vociferously appealed for a penalty after an apparent handball by Barry. But it all went in vain soon after when Adebayor rose to produce a killer header. His celebration that followed was beyond disgraceful, running the length of the pitch to scream his lungs out at the away fans. Pathetic.
Minutes later, SwP was presented with a clear run on goal and produced a clinical finish to give the home side a wide berth.
However, the way Arsenal finished the match, it appeared as if they might conjure something out of this match. Rosicky marked his return with a calmly finish goal to reduce the deficit. But despite the flurry of chances towards the end, including RvP hitting the post a la Man United, Arsenal ended the day with a sickening defeat.
Clearly, Manchester City are going to be a force to reckon with this season, especially if they combine classy finishing with attritional play as they did today. Arsenal need to sharpen in attack and avoid making any more mistakes at the back. It's early in the season yet, but it looks all set to be one heck of a contest.