In a very disappointing game, Manchester City lost 2-0 at home to Arsenal and the performance really justified the result.

This could well be the game that sees Manchester City lose vital ground that they can’t make up to Chelsea, coming as it does before the game against the current league leaders.

There were few individual performances worthy of praise. Fernando and Fernandinho were two who perhaps performed better than the rest, with Fernando in particular making a few important tackles in the middle of the field.

Jesus Navas failed to justify his place in the team

Jesus Navas had a particularly sub-par game. Continually making ineffectual runs, and when he did occasionally manage to beat his man the final ball was laughable at best. Manuel Pellegrini kept the Spaniard on after half time, substituting instead James Milner for Stevan Jovetic. Jesus Navas failed to justify his place in the team on this occasion.

Martin Demichelis was another who had a torrid time of it on the pitch. He continually played ill-timed, and lazy, passes that were either intercepted or simply played to the opposition. Frankly Demichelis looked off the pace in this match, and you would think that at the least this would mean that Eliaquim Mangala is a shoo-in for the game against Chelsea.

Vincent Kompany looked leggy in this game. That said, it was not, is not and never will have been a penalty against Aaron Ramsey. Kompany was stationary, and then the Welsh midfielder ran into him from two yards away. Its like running into the post and then giving it a yellow card for having the audacity to be there.

Arsenal decided that today, for the first time this season, they would be defensively solid and it worked. Manchester City went through periods of dominating the ball, but never managed to turn it into definitive chances. It took a long while before City even managed to register a shot on target, and never really troubled David Ospina all game.

Its like running into the post and then giving it a yellow card for having the audacity to be there.

All in all, a terrible match for Manchester City. This performance couldn’t have come at a worse time, given the match against Chelsea in a week. You would hope that Sergio Aguero and Vincent Kompany will have used this match to regain a bit more match fitness, and that the team can put in a very different performance after this drab, ineffectual display.