Goodbye QPR and Reading. These two teams have been officially relegated from English Premier League this weekend. Reading was just promoted to EPL last season, while Queens Park Rangers barely avoided being relegated. Most people had a feeling that QPR would get relegated, even in the first half of the season. The team has many talented players, but for some reason, they just weren’t able to get the results to stay in England’s top league.

Who else will join QPR and Reading? The three clubs fighting to stay in EPL are Wigan Athletic, Sunderland and Newcastle United. Personally, I hope Newcastle stays in EPL for another season. They have a lot of talent on that team and they can play some great football.

What else happened this weekend? Well, Liverpool won against Newcastle 6-0. Yes, you read that right. Liverpool won 6-0. Newcastle had an off day. This was Liverpool’s first match without Luis Suarez, who will be banned for 10 matches after biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic last weekend. Most people might have expected Liverpool to struggle, but that wasn’t the case.

While both Manchester clubs have qualified for Champions League next season, there are still two spots up for grabs. The three clubs fighting for those two spots are three London based clubs- Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. I would love to see Chelsea and Spurs qualify. Juan Mata, David Luiz, Ivanovic and Gareth Bale are some footballers that I think are very talented and would like to see them playing in Champions League. Spurs missed out this season, due to Chelsea winning Champions League.

This weekend, the one match everyone will be watching is Manchester United v. Chelsea. Don’t miss out; that match will be on May 5th at 11 a.m. EST.

The most shocking result of the weekend has to be Manchester City’s 2-0 loss to Everton. Yup. They actually lost to Everton. I know what you’re thinking, How in the world did a team like Manchester City- a team that has players like Joe Hart and David Silva- lose to a team like Everton- a team that has….well, not that many well known players? Besides Tim Howard (USMNT keeper) but he’s currently injured.

The answer? I don’t even know. Sure, the league is already lost for City, but that doesn’t mean they should just give up and lose to teams like Everton.

Another surprising result was Liverpool’s 3-1 loss to Southampton. But then again, maybe that’s not so surprising, considering it is Liverpool. They do have a good team, Steve Gerrard and Luis Suarez are two of the best players, but they tend to win the difficult matches, while losing winnable matches.

Saturday’s results

On Sunday, Andre Villas-Boas’ Tottenham Hotspur suffered a defeat to Fulham.  They played at home (White Hart Lane), but unfortunately, they lost 1-0 thanks to a goal scored by former Spurs player- Dimitar Berbatov.

This was the Spurs’ second straight loss. They lost 4-1 to Inter Milan last week in Europa League, but were able to move on thanks to that away goal. With this loss and the Chelsea win, Spurs are now in 4th place.

Sunday’s results

Hey footy fans and HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE! Wow, 2012 has been pretty crazy, hasn’t it? I honestly can’t believe it’s over! We’ve had a lot of changes around here and there’s been a lot that’s happened in Major League Soccer and all around the world. So, to close out the year, the ladies of Aerys Soccer will take you back and share with you our favorite stories, games, events and more from this past year!

Toni Stone: Arsenal and DC United writer

Theirry Henry makes Arsenal history January 2012 with first appearance as a Gunner since 2007

When my editor Trista Lutgring asked me to write about my favorite soccer memory of 2012, one immediately popped into my head.  It was in early January, just after the transfer window had closed.  Not surprisingly, my favorite team Arsenal had not made a single trade despite a poor start to their season. But there was a silver lining to the new year.  The club borrowed a player on loan from the New York Redbulls.  That player was none other than the Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry. It was Henry’s first appearance as a player at Emirates Stadium and a who’s who guest list filled the stands to witness the historic event.  Even David Beckham, an obvious Manchester United former player and fan, was in attendance with his three boys in tow (one of which is an Arsenal fan).

Prior to writing this, I honestly didn’t remember that Arsneal played Leeds that night, or that it was an FA Cup match.  I do remember however, that Henry didn’t start, but when he stood up to warm up, it felt like the entire stadium took in a giant breath and held it.  All eyes widened and even the cameramen found it difficult to pull the camera away from the sidelines and follow match play. As the superstar striker came on to a standing ovation, the anticipation was so high, I look back now and realize that what was expected from him was too much pressure to put on any human.  Fortunately for all of us, Henry is no ordinary human. He touched the ball once maybe twice in the nearly eight minutes he was on the pitch, with fans standing and singing his praises the entire time.  Then Alex Song made a beautiful pass, which Thierry touched once to settle and once more to fire into the upper right corner of the net.

The adrenaline that must have been pumping through that man was contagious.  I can recall his reaction to that goal as if I were watching it in front of me, but I just watched a few thousand Youtube videos to hear the crowd celebrating with him, and well, just because. In his revelry, he ran around the edge of the stadium with his arms outstretched.  He made a quick pit stop to hug his mentor, Arsene Wenger, then continued the festivities along with everyone else wearing a red Arsenal jersey.  That moment was an incredible rush and an inspiring shot in the arm the team needed at that point in the season. Henry’s first appearance as an Arsenal player in many years concluded with a game-winning goal (1-0) and an historic night for all.  Thank you Thierry Henry (and Trista for prompting me to rememeber), for a tremendous 2012 soccer memory.

Tamara Rinehart: La Liga and Seattle Sounders writer

It’s been a crazy year in the football world and naming just one specific moment that stood out for me was tremendously difficult. First off, Real Madrid becoming La Liga champions and Spain winning Euro 2012 was pretty spectacular and a feat for future countries to compete with. But it was a match in Seattle on June 7th that caught me eye (hell, it even made me tear up a bit!)

Alyssa Olszewski: San Jose Earthquakes writer

There were several hugely exciting moments for the San Jose Earthquakes this past season. Ground was broken on their new stadium, the Supporters’ Shield was won, and there was no shortage of drama between the Quakes and their sworn rivals down in Southern California. However, one of my favorite moments came relatively early on in the season, when the Quakes played the Columbus Crew at Buck Shaw Stadium May 19. Columbus had gone up in the 47th minute thanks to a goal by Justin Meram. Crew keeper Andy Grunebaum made some massive saves, including a Wondo penalty kick, and it seemed San Jose was destined to end their unbeaten-at-Buck-Shaw streak earlier than hoped.

Then Gordon Time happened. This was the season of last-minute results for the Earthquakes, and Alan Gordon scored a disproportionate share of those late goals. He came on as a sub in this game in the 60th minute, but, true to form, waited until the 90th minute to score. And what a beauty it was. His first shot clanged off the crossbar but he followed the rebound, completely laying out his massive frame to beat the keeper with an acrobatic half volley.

The stadium erupted, Gordon was tackled by his teammates, and the Quakes managed to hold on for the remaining minutes of extra time to secure a draw.

Terry Munoz: English Premier League writer

The beginning of the 2011-12 EPL season started off great for my club, Manchester City. They were at the top of the table and it looked like the league was ours. Then in the middle of the season, City was no longer playing they way they had at the beginning of the year and Manchester United was at the top of the table, eight points ahead. Somehow, though, City was able to catch up and by the last match day, City and United were tied at the top of the table. The last match, against Queens Park Rangers, was a must win for City.  A loss or draw would mean that United would win the league. Rooney scored the goal for United, but City had also scored. However, QPR equalized much to the disappointment of City fans (and excitement of United fans).

QPR then scored another goal and were winning 2-1. With less than 10 minutes to go, United was winning against Sunderland and City was losing against QPR. Roberto Mancini decided it was time to sub in Edin Dzeko, who then scored for City in the last remaining minutes of the match. This wasn’t enough though. City would need one more goal if they wanted to win their first league title in 40-plus years. Kun Aguero came to the rescue when he scored the winning goal in extra time. City fans everywhere (including myself) were in shock, but excited and thrilled to see City win the league. Supporters of other clubs were also happy, they had wanted anyone but United to win the league. That match was one of the most exciting matches of the season for me, as a City fan, and a very memorable moment for 2012.

Kristian Russell: LA Galaxy writer

Oh man… Picking my favorite LA Galaxy moment this season is easier said than done! So I’ve narrowed it down to two; beating San Jose in the playoffs and winning the MLS Cup again. Beating San Jose was nothing short of epic. LA went in as the underdogs and came out the team to beat on the road to the cup. It was something of a dream! Winning the MLS Cup again was the icing in the cake to the whole season. The way the boys went from last in the league, to the best gave me cold chills… And it’s still does to this day! 2012 was a great season for LA, and 2013 will be right up there with it.

Frances Sullivan: La Liga writer

There were many candidates for my best moment of 2012. From living in Brazil for the Euros to Real Madrid winning their 32nd La Liga title, from watching the USMNT defeat Mexico in the Azteca Stadium to attending my first MLS game (Dallas vs LA), 2012 was a packed year. Nevertheless, I’m going to have to say the USWNT semifinal game against Canada in the Olympics takes the cake this year. I got to watch the game with a bunch of university friends on a giant screen. The thrill of enduring Christine Sinclair scoring three times against the U.S. and watching our girl come back each time was exhilarating! I was barely breathing by the time Alex Morgan’s header crossed the line four minutes into injury time after extra time was already exhausted. I was freaking out! I totally thought the game was going to penalty kicks. Whew! What. A. Game.

Liz Johnsen: Real Salt Lake writer

Late in the season, Real Salt Lake were playing DC United, and it was defiantly not a game for fair weather fans. Someone in Utah must have infuriated Mother Nature, because the rain and wind were vicious – so bad that the ref called a weather delay not even 20 minutes into the game, after an unsettlingly large lightning strike shook the building. But I like to think that’s how all other teams view the RioT when they come play here! I happened to be taking one of my friends who had never been to a game before, and who was skeptical that soccer was entertaining in the slightest way, shape, or form. We had an hour and a half to kill before the storm passed and the game started again, so I began telling her about everything Real Salt Lake and gave her the unofficial tour of the soggy stadium.

The Supporters Section drunks were great entertainment for us as they formed a dance circle (which in this case ended up being more of a who-could-make-dance-motions-the-longest-without-falling-over-circle), and sang some not so PG rated songs. I was shocked when my friend showed some interest in the team and asked about my favorite player, Will Johnson, and some other players who she had heard me talk about in the past. By the time the game had started again, and she was standing, and singing, and having a great time. She even picked out a favorite player! I kept telling her not to worry that the score was 0-0, and that Will would come through and score. It was really crazy because he actually did! Whenever I say someone is going to score, they usually never do, so of course calling that my favorite player would score the game winner was great, but by converting a baseball fan into a soccer fan, I felt accomplished and everyone went home happy. Except for maybe DC United… They just went home wet.

Trista Lutgring: Editor, Columbus Crew and USMNT writer

Okay, so wow. When I issued this assignment, I didn’t even take a second to think about what I would deem my favorite moment of 2012. There were so many around the league, with the United States Men’s National Team and well, just all over the world! But once I got to thinking about it, the Crew fan in me would only let me choose one moment.

Aug. 15, 2012. It was a game against the LA Galaxy that held a lot more meaning than the usual match ups between the Crew and the west-coast team. A week prior to that game, our rookie midfielder Kirk Urso died for reasons unknown at the time. A promising talent from the University of North Carolina, Kirk had played six games for the Crew, starting five of them. As fans, we were excited about his presence on the team. He was hard working, had talent and, more importantly, had a great, promising future with us. I never met Kirk, I didn’t know him personally and never got to sit at Crew Stadium and watch him take the pitch. But to this day, it still gets me that the Crew Nation lost Kirk just as we were getting to know him.

And Columbus didn’t mourn alone. Major League Soccer and its teams grieved with us. It was the first time in the league’s history that a young player had passed during the season. It was quite unreal for all of us. So when the Crew took to the field Aug. 15 for the first time at home since Kirk’s passing, it was pretty emotional. The number 15 was everywhere, commemorating our fallen player. And I’ll never forget when the 15 minute mark in the match happened and everyone fell silent. The supporter’s section, every person in a seat and on the sidelines dead quite for one minute that just stretched on as banners for Kirk were held high. The silence ended with a bagpipe lead rendition of “Amazing Grace,” which made me tear up and still does now that I am remembering it.

It was a moment I’ll never forget; all of MLS banning with the Crew Nation. Kirk was one of us, Forever Massive, and he will be greatly missed.

“Don’t count your time, make your time count.”

Frank Lampard handed Chelsea the 2-0 win over Everton with a double.

Frank Lampard took responsibility for Chelsea’s fourth win in a row by scoring twice to win 2-1 at Everton today.  The 34-year -old England midfielder has been with the club since 2001 and has yet to be offered an extension to his contract ending in June.

Today’s win helps to keep the Blues in contention for the Premier League title race and also might give some hope the club will hold onto the seasoned Lampard.

On Saturday, Manchester United took their seventh win in eight matches thanks to star striker Robin van Persie.  His 90-minute shot, his League-leading 14th goal of the season, made the score 2-0 over West Brom.  United now have a seven-point lead in the standings going into 2013.

Arsenal dominated Newcastle 7-3 with help from a Theo Walcott hat trick.  The England national has refused to re-sign with the Gunners and there is speculation he will be sold in January.  In an attempt to change his mind, for the last few games, Arsene Wenger has allowed the winger to start as center striker, his requested position for many years.  He has been very effective, but is it too little too late will remain to be seen.

Manchester City squeaked out a 4-3 win over Norwich Saturday no thanks to Samir Nasri’s first half send off.  The thrilling match was a fight to the finish, but Edin Dzeko replaced the ill Carlos Tevez up front to score two plus the usual quality from Sergio Aguero helped City hold on to the lead.

Even after Sunderland beat Manchester City 1-0 last Wednesday, Tottenham managed a come-from-behind win over Sunderland in the 52nd minute thanks to a fine strike by England winger Aaron Lennon.

Other matches played over the weekend:

Stoke City 3 – 3 Southampton

Fulham 1 – 2 Swansea

Reading 1 – 0 West Ham United

Aston Villa 0 – 3 Wigan

QPR 0 – 3 Liverpool

Okay, I can do this. Deep breaths.

So, this week’s MWM pick is a little difficult for me. Joe Hart , the 25-year-old English keeper, is quite attractive, as you can see below. He’s 6’5″, damn good with his hands and has this cute, wholesome look. He does have a flaw though – well a flaw to me anyway. He plays for Manchester City. As a United girl, this is a bit of a conundrum. It’s not exactly cool to be attracted to the enemy!

Nevertheless, I couldn’t turn him away as a pick. I mean, just look at him. . .

Yeah, pretty damn hard not to find him attractive, right? I thought so. But playing for MCFC isn’t Joe’s only flaw. He has a couple more – ones that I could let slip by more easily. One, he apparently doesn’t mind getting a little wet and goofing off

And a problem with keeping his pants on in public… which I really don’t mind.

Apparently Joe has no problem dressing in the parking lot! Not that I really care either…

And looking pretty great in trunks and no shirt…

Eh, who am I kidding? Joe’s pretty all right, all round.

Make sure to check back every Wednesday for a new Midweek Muscles pick. And follow the ladies of Aerys Soccer as we keep you updated with MLS and soccer news from all over the world!

A Manchester Derby in the English Premier League is never typical. You can’t count on anything or which team will come out on top. What you can bet your money on, however, is that it’s gonna be one hell of a ride. The derby that took place today between Manchester United and Manchester City did not disappoint in that regard.

Was it ugly? Hell yes it was. I mean, these two are the biggest rivals in the world. Everyone tunes in to a Manchester Derby.

It was intense. A brace from Wayne Rooney in the first half, and Manchester City roaring back to tie it up in the second, with goals from Yaya Toure in the 60th minute and Pablo Zabaleta with five minutes to spare in the game.

But it would be the final goal of the match that had me grinning the brightest – and no, not just because I’m a United fan and it was the goal that won the match. No, it was how the goal went in that made me smile.

United’s Rafael was fouled just outside the box about two minutes into stoppage time for the game, giving United a dying chance with a free kick. Of course, new man Robin Van Persie stepped up to take the shot. As the ball barreled toward goal, it nicked off City’s Samir Nasri before lodging in the back of the net.

And this is why I grinned, because the second player I dislike in the league is Nasri (behind Tevez, of course). So to see United’s winning goal get a little flick off of Nasri was definitely worth the agony of being tied 2-2 with City.

However, not all the drama in the match was game related, unfortunately. Most of it came right at the end thanks to some unruly fans and a few words between United boss Sir Alex Ferguson and City’s Tevez. It all started when United were celebrating Van Persie’s goal. As the  players celebrated, a fan threw an object on to the field, which hit MUFC defender Rio Ferdinand right above the eye and of course drew blood.

Then it was if the flood gates banged open. A fan rushed the pitch and City keeper Joe Hart had to restrain him so that security officers could remove the fan from the pitch.

Then the heated words between SAF and Tevez, which I’m sure were interesting. I would have actually loved to have heard what the gaffer said to his former player. That was about the time the ref decided he might want to end the match.

Overall, another incredibly intense derby took place today. I swear, this get more and more crazy with every meeting. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next one!

Check out all the goals from today’s match here, and even the moment when Ferdinand gets nicked. You can’t see the object, but you can definitely tell it was something that ticked him off!

http://youtu.be/IJd-5-xUMp4

He might not like being called a super sub, but Edin Dzeko helped Manchester City complete yet another comeback. This time against Tottenham Spurs. The visitors scored first in the 21st minute and the fact that City had more possession than Spurs didn’t really matter. Spurs had the lead until the 65th min when Kun Aguero equalized for City! Bot teams had chances to score, but it wasn’t until the 88th minute, when who else but Edin Dzeko, scored for Manchester City, completing their comeback. With this 2-1 win over Spurs, City is still undefeated in EPL. 

Some other matches this weekend included Chelsea v. Liverpool and Manchester United v. Aston Villa. Just like City, United also had to come back in order to win all 3 points. However, they came back from a two-goal deficit. Villa shocked the visitors (and everyone that was watching) by scoring seconds before half time. They doubled their lead just minutes into the second half. It looked like United was headed for a defeat, but they brought on Mexican forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez at the beginning of the second half and he helped United’s comeback. At first it looked like he had earned a hat trick, but the second goal was later ruled an own goal. Either way, United was able to come back yet again from an early goal deficit.

Chelsea players and fans will be disappointed that they weren’t able to get all 3 points  Sunday, especially when they had more chances and played better overall than Liverpool. Chelsea captain John Terry scored first for the home team in the 20th minute. His goal came off a corner kick, when he was left unmarked. He later collided with Luis Suarez of Liverpool and had to be stretchered off. Suarez equalized in the second half and with this draw, Chelsea and United’s gap at the top of the table widened a little bit more.

Here are the rest of the scores from EPL (Saturday and Sunday)

The second week of the group stages are officially over as some pretty big clubs took to the pitch on the world’s biggest stage. Perhaps the biggest headline in today’s match-ups was that of Real Madrid and the-one -and-only Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portuguese international stole all recognition as he knocked in his second hat trick in two matches. Real Madrid played CL rivals Ajax once again in the Group of Death, beating them 4-1. Ajax’s only goal came from Niklas Moisander in the 56′.

The king of hat trick Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 42′, 79′ and the 81′ but it was the Frenchman Karim Benzema who scored the Goal of the Match (and I’ll say the day too,) after a stunning chilean, or bicycle kick, just after the second half kick-off assisted by Kaka.

Los Blancos sit atop their group with 6 points and will face league rivals FC Barcelona Sunday at Camp Nou for the first El Clásico of the season. Hopefully this CL match will light the fire under the boys so they can come on top of Barça once again.

http://youtu.be/CBMy7rWUeQA

Looks like Arsenal are one step closer to securing their spot in the knockout stage after winning 3-1 against Olympiakos. After a defeat by Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend, the Gunners looked refreshed on the pitch.

The goal scorers were Gervinho, Lukas Podolski and Aaron Ramsey while Kostas Mitroglou scored the lone goal for his side. The second half was fast-paced as many opportunities arose for the Gunners.

I have to give a Flop of the Match award to Olivier Giroud who has not yet been the key player for Arsenal as others expected. Only time will tell with him and perhaps on Saturday when Arsenal face West Ham, could we see something more from him.

Dynamo Kiev 2-0 Dinamo Zagreb

FC Porto 1-0 PSG

Schalke 04 2-2 Montpellier

Anderlecht 0-3 Málaga

Manchester City 1-1 Borussia Dortmund

Photo courtesy of Real Madrid C.F.

Two of the weekend’s biggest matches were Arsenal-Chelsea and Manchester United-Spurs. Neither of which involved my team, but I’ve got your recaps for you anyway.

First up, Arsenal v. Chelsea. I know there were a lot of people (Gunners mostly) who woke up early to watch this match. Since I’m not a Gunner or a Chelsea supporter, there was no way I was waking up at 4:45 a.m. to watch the match. Besides, the last time I woke up early to watch, Arsenal won and I didn’t really want to see that again. Then again, that was back when they had Robin Van Persie.

Anyway, this match was at home for Arsenal, most people probably thought Arsenal would win because Chelsea hadn’t been scoring as much as they should be. Well, that didn’t seem to be the case today. Fernando Torres scored first for Chelsea, but Arsenal was allowed to equalized just minutes before half time.

Yesterday, I had been talking to someone about the game and they asked me who I was rooting for. I told them Chelsea and I also said that it was because of Juan Mata. Who was it that scored the game winner for Chelsea? That’s right, none other than Mata! Of course I was happy; after all, both Chelsea goal scorers were Spanish and many of you know how I feel about Spanish footballers ( I love them). So the match ended 2-1 Chelsea and Arsenal’s unbeaten streak was finally broken.

Speaking of streaks being broken, Spurs also broke a streak of their own. They had a losing streak against Manchester United at Old Trafford. In fact, the last time they won was way back in 1989. Today, the Spurs got off to a great start. In less than 5 minutes, they managed to scored against United. My fave Spurs player – Gareth Bale – then doubled Spurs lead before half time. However, this is United we’re talking about; they weren’t going to go away without a fight.

Nani was able to cut the lead in half, but Clint Dempsey came along and scored Spurs’ third goal of the match and his first for his new club. But, a minute later United scored again. Even with “Fergie” time, though, it wasn’t enough. Dempsey’s first goal for Spurs would be the game winner. It was a great match (and victory) not only for Spurs, but also for AVB. I’ve always said that possession isn’t the most important thing in a match. Manchester United had 74-percent possession and they still couldn’t pull off a win.

In another match today, Fulham surprised Manchester City and their fans when they took the lead early on. They were awarded what many people thought shouldn’t have been a penalty, but the ref thought otherwise. Fulham scored and for most of the first half, led the match 1-0. Lucky for us City fans, Sergio Aguero was able to equalize before half time. Both teams kept trying to get another goal, but it looked like it was going to end in a 1-1 draw. However, Mancini out in Edin Dzeko and in less than a minute, he scored City’s second and winning goal.

Liverpool also took to the pitch today and won 5-2 against Norwich. No, that’s not a typo or a joke, that really happened! Sure, some might say it’s “only” Norwich, but it’s Liverpool’s first win of the season. Luis Suarez had a hat trick in this match, former Real Madrid player Nuri Sahin scored, and so did Liverpool’s captain, Steven Gerrard.   Not only that, but they have been playing much better this past week. If they continue playing like this, who knows, they might just end up in the top 6 this season.

Other EPL scores

Everton 3- Southhampton 1

Reading 2 – Newcastle United 2

Sunderland 1 – Wigan

Stoke City 2- Swansea City 0

On Sunday, West Brom will visit Aston Villa, while on Monday, Esteban Granero’s QPR will take on West Ham. That match will be on ESPN 2 at 3 p.m. EST.

An Arsenal victory pile for Laurent Koscielny and his equalizer late in the match

Don’t be fooled.  From the look of the photo in this post, you’d think Arsenal had just won the league title.  They didn’t… not yet anyways.  But this IS the way Arsenal reacted to an equalizer that denied Manchester City two points at Etihad Stadium Sunday.

Ending in a draw with Citay (as they are sometimes referred to) was almost as good as a win for Arsenal.  Along with that point that put them in fifth place, the Gunners made an equally important point by demonstrating that they can hold their own against a top team.

Prior to this match, Arsenal hadn’t faced as formidable a foe as Manchester City.  This was the first real test of the season for the North London side. Fans like myself were anxiously looking to see how the players performed both offensively and defensively against the likes of Manchester City superstars.  We were pleasantly relieved at the results.

The offensive formation was a surprise.  Wenger changed up what had been working so well in the last few matches by placing Gervinho out front and center with Lukas Podolski, Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey right behind him.  Podolski, who squandered a great opportunity by striking a ball well over the bar, continued to look promising.

Santi Cazorla is my new favorite player (since Alex Song left for Barcelona, I have finally found his worthwhile replacement) and I predict Cazorla will be key to this season’s success.  In this match, I saw him make two mistakes  — the only ones I have seen him make so far this season. Otherwise, a perfect game including a thunderous long-distance strike that challenged Joe Hart in the second half.

Ramsey was the surprise addition to the squad.  I had lost confidence in the Welshman from last season, but he stepped up his game today and made some great contributions.  Had it not been for a bad touch from Gervinho, Ramsey’s through-ball might have put the visitors ahead by the middle of the first half.

I’m not sure what to say about Gervinho except I will refrain from saying anything in hopes that the Ivorian had an off day and things will look up in the games ahead.

Arsenal’s offensive players  matched up well with Manchester City’s usual back four, made up of former Gunner Gael Clichy, Joleon Lescott, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta.  This usually fearsome group of mercenaries seemed sluggish and lumbered around most of the match.  Of the four, Joleon Lescott made the greatest contribution for both teams. His header at the end of the first half deflated some of the dominance Arsenal had established, but then he failed to clear a corner in the 82nd minute.  That costly error allowed Laurent Koscielny to level the game with a close range shot that sent electricity through ever Gunner, player and fan. See photo again for proof.

Arsenal’s defense has been a bone of contention for a number of seasons but the pressure from the likes of Sergio Aguero and Yaya Toure tested, but did not break down, Arsene Wenger’s back four.

Carl Jenkinson, looking far more seasoned than his young age reveals, was particularly strong down the right.  And praised for reading the game well, Per Mertesacker denied City possession time and again from center-half.   Additional and unselfish support from Mikel Arteta and Abou Diaby also point to Steve Bould and his efforts to strengthen the squad defensively.

Take a look at that photo one more time.  Look at the genuine and raw emotions on their faces – ALL of their faces. (Ok, Koscielny might have been exhibiting some pain at that point, but I bet it hurt so good.)  Seriously though, that is the photo of a cohesive team.  It’s a picture of a hard-working squad passionate about their game.  That is a photo of a doggedly determined team destined for greatness.

It is still early in the season, but both Manchester City and Arsenal remain undefeated.  Arsenal ended the week in fifth place while City settled into seventh on goal differential.  City will need to pick up their game if they are to retain their title, while on this evidence, Arsenal could be well-placed to challenge them.

COYG!