Manchester City midfielder James Milner was delighted by his team’s response to their first premiership defeat by Chelsea, as they bounced back to beat Arsenal 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium. After a week that saw Chelsea getting a scrappy 2-1 win over the league leaders and Manchester City also failing to make the knockout rounds of the Champions League, some pundits were predicting that the team’s inexperience may begin to show and that the previously sky high confidence might begin to wobble. However, against the potential title contending Arsenal team, whose form has been magnificent in the past few weeks, City played their usual commanding football, and gained a valuable victory.
Although the game didn’t see the numbers of goals we’ve come to expect from City at home, they still created numerous chances and looked dangerous on the break. The goal eventually came from a move started by Mario Balotelli. He chased down a through ball, lost Song with ease, hit an angled shot that Szczesny couldn’t hold and Silva reacted fastest to poke it in. Arsenal put up a good fight, with a penalty appeal, and an offside goal both going against them, but in the end it was City who got the 3 points.
Milner was confident that his team would react well before the game, and like the rest of the Manchester City squad, seemed unfazed by their first defeat. “I don’t think there is more pressure on us,” said the City and England player. “We have massive pressure on us in every single game, so there is no change. Pressure comes from ourselves and in the dressing room, no-one else. People might say there is pressure from the outside but we are a unit. As a squad, the staff, the whole club is together and we know where we want to be.” As the season progresses, this team spirit will be crucial, but if they continue as they have started they have a fantastic chance of their first league title in decades.