The best 6-3 result I had ever heard of was the thrashing of England in 1953 by the Magical Magyars. The Hungarians ripped England apart at Wembley which forced a rethink in English football.
Likewise, the Magical Manchester Citizens were simply on a different planet against the Arsenal.
All the excuses have been trotted out by Arsene Wenger: bad refereeing, mistakes, the ball was yellow and the weather was too cold up north.
It is best to summarise that the Gunners were not good enough, and need to rethink their tactics and team selection. There is an edge beginning to creep into their game. There was a show of egos in midfield.
It has been creeping into their game and it is a pity to see Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere trying to prove they are better than Mesut Ozil. Am I wrong to think the British boys do not like to pass the ball to Ozil? Go watch the game again.
By isolating Ozil, the Arsenal look ordinary as they lack direction and creativity. The accolades have belonged to Ramsey and only because he is at his best when making use of his lung capacity. By sticking Wilshere on the left wing, Arsene Wenger is trying hard to not upset the status quo but to his own detriment.
Playing Wilshere on the wing allowed Pablo Zabaleta to maraud forward at every opportunity. Playing Wilshere in central midfield means leaving out the maturity and leadership of Mikel Arteta. The other central midfield position is where Ramsey's aforementioned lung capacity is vital.
This is the chosen formation of 4-2-3-1 that the Gunners deploy. Why does Wenger then play Jack Wilshere at No. 10, especially when the world's best No. 10 is already a Gunner?
So, where do you play the best English midfielder? On the bench!
Well played to Manchester City. They were fluently sublime.
And then there is the monotonous pragmatism of Jose Mourinho. Maybe he should spend a little time thinking about football and less time on thinking about himself.
With a wealth of talent available, the Chelsea gaffer needs to rethink his formation. He has to accommodate two strikers to make Chelsea more effective. The lack of out and out wingers makes two strikers a necessity – one to hold the ball and the other to get in behind.
The game has evolved since Mourinho's first stint in England. Then it was pretty much headless chicken and was easier to tactically manoeuvre. But English football has evolved, as the brand of football displayed this season shows and Mourinho has to learn new tricks.
As was evident against Crystal Palace, there is no need for a Michael Essien alongside Ramires.
At the Etihad, it was Fernandinho in the Ramires role alongside the mobile and intelligent Yaya Toure. The bull has been sacrificed. Please someone tell Jose that.
Meanwhile, at Villa Park, the boys beat the kids. The Villans need to shed their adolescence, and fast. Youth and enthusiasm can only take you so far. Déjà vu? Yes, I said that eight weeks ago on Turning Points, the television programme on Astro SuperSports.
Another thing I said three weeks ago was that Tottenham Hotspur were rubbish.
Well, if Spurs had been rubbish against Manchester City in the six-nil thrashing, then they were simply pathetic against Liverpool, and at White Hart Lane at that.
A team that on paper looks formidable is actually just that, on paper! Spurs are such a total shambles all over the pitch, that there is no excuse for Andre Villas-Boas to make or hang on to.
On the other hand, Liverpool finally looked like a proper team. The fluidity of their football, encouraged by a very nimble attack of Luis Suarez, Phillipe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling made an already plodding Spurs defence look like a bunch of, yes, plodders!
The central midfield pairing of Lucas and Joe Allen played with vision and anticipation with the raw running of Jordan Henderson an important outlet. At times, it was like watching Barcelona!
As the season has progressed, what we are watching now is definitely the best brand of football we have seen since the inception of the English Premier League. – December 17, 2013.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
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