Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville (Image: Sky Sports)
Arsenal and Manchester City, who are vying for the Premier League title, drew 0-0 on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium. The former Manchester United player Gary Neville praised Arsenal’s performance.
Gary Neville praised several Arsenal players after their Sunday 0-0 draw with Manchester City.
The Gunners are still one point ahead of the reigning champions City despite being two points behind league leaders Liverpool, who defeated Brighton 2-1 at Anfield, thanks to the draw. Neville also thinks that Mikel Arteta’s team’s performance at the Etihad “answered two big questions” regarding their title credentials.
The former captain of Manchester United praised Arsenal’s defensive play and mentality, highlighting William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes as a particularly strong center-back duo that silenced opponents like Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, and Kevin De Bruyne.
Neville stated on Sky Sports, “They answered two big questions today,” given that City was only able to muster one shot on goal during the entire contest. “The first is their mindset: could they hold up against Manchester City in a crucial match?
“Recall that they crumbled badly here the previous season, but they appeared to have much greater mental toughness today, as they were a team that could contend for a championship. Given how challenging it is to get here, that was a significant question that was addressed.
“Clearly, the defensive end of things is the other one. They suffered without Saliba last year, and today’s evidence supports that. Saliba and Gabriel impressed me greatly today, and the two wide players and two forwards had amazing work ethics.
They truly banded together against Haaland; it was a traditional ‘one go tight, the other drop off’ strategy. However, they were able to do so because there were numerous players nearby.
Arsenal drew 0-0 with Manchester City on Sunday ( Image: Alan Martin/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock)
“The midfield was compact with the full-backs positioned narrowly and tightly, and the two forwards were tucked in when necessary. It frequently stumps me when I play against elite players, so don’t feel the need to double up out of embarrassment.
“You need to bring someone else along, and Jesus did just that. Kiwior was saved from a lot of trouble today by Jesus. With Ben White next to him and Saka next to him, he was having a tough game early on. They played a fantastic game.”
