Arsenal Bolstered Its Defense; Man City Didn't Care

No matter what Unai Emeri had done at Paris-St Germain, he was still gonna operate under the huge shadow of the legendary Arsene Wenger when he took the gig at Arsenal.

Predictably, dude announced his top priority would be to improve a Gunner defense that could generously be called alleged.

Easier said than done.

Especially against the likes of Manchester City.

 

Emeri picked up a few nifty pieces to that effect:

• Swiss international Stephan Lichtsteiner from Juventus on a free transfer to shore up the back four,
• Lucas Torreira from Dortmund for £16million to provide cover -- one way or another -- in the midfield,
• Sokratis Papastathopoulos from Dortmund for £18million to step in at center-back, and
• Matteo Guendouzi from French second division Lorient for £7million to serve as a holding midfielder.

It's obviously early days for the newcomers, but they figured into the complicity as City navigated through them at one point or another on the way to a 0-2 triumph.

 

Right from the kickoff, Pep Guardiola's side was in control offensively. The Gunners seemed trapped by City in the first minutes, and Petr Čech's services were already requested in the fifth minute, with a good stop on Raheem Sterling.

By the 14th minute though, the Čech couldn't stop Sterling's attempt from long-range:

 

Safe to say the Arsenal defense had great views of Sterling negotiating his very own rally course.

Arsenal fans seemed to have felt the goal, as the Emirates went quiet for a little bit. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mesut Özil both tried, but Ederson was there to secure City as Arsenal seemed to be lost at their own home. 

In the second half, Čech was again called to continuous action. This time, he brilliantly saved Sergio Agüero's finish when the Argentine got one-on-one with him.

 

Guendouzi got schooled and saved in the same play.

One minute later -- the 64th, to be exact -- it was substitute Bernardo Silva who beat Čech, with an outstanding finish from the edge of the area into the top left corner.

 

Needless to say, Emeri's got work to do, starting with passing out stickers that say, Hello, my name is _____.

Then again, the Gunners are now 2-of-their-last-9 in opening day games, and Emeri has never beaten Guardiola in any competition.

City will march on, of course. Meanwhile, maybe there is hope for Arsenal figuring out the Emirates Stadium has a back yard, and they'd better tend to it.