{"id":321492,"date":"2026-04-20T04:53:48","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T23:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=321492"},"modified":"2026-04-20T04:53:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T23:23:48","slug":"gary-neville-says-mikel-arteta-was-hampered-enormously-by-two-arsenal-stars-in-man-city-defeat-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/20\/gary-neville-says-mikel-arteta-was-hampered-enormously-by-two-arsenal-stars-in-man-city-defeat-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Gary Neville says Mikel Arteta was ‘hampered enormously’ by two Arsenal stars in Man City defeat | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Arsenal were \u2018enormously hampered\u2019 by Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera, says Gary Neville (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gary Neville felt Jurrien Timber was badly missed against Manchester City and Arsenal were \u2018hampered enormously\u2019 by Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera\u2019s apparent shortcomings going forward.<\/p>\n

Arsenal got here out fighting after picking up only one win of their previous five contests in all competitions, but\u00a0Erling Haaland\u2019s second-half strike ultimately proved decisive on the Etihad.<\/p>\n

Kai Havertz\u2019s leveller \u2013 gifted to Arsenal by\u00a0Gianluigi Donnarumma\u00a0\u2013 had given the visitors hope of an announcement victory away from home, with the forward\u2019s effort cancelling out\u00a0Rayan Cherki\u2019s sublime opener just moment earlier.<\/p>\n

Mikel Arteta\u2019s men were punished for his or her wastefulness in front of goal within the second half, though, ensuring hosts City closed the gap on the summit to simply three points.<\/p>\n

Pep Guardiola\u2019s side, who’ve a game in hand over Arsenal, will claim top spot should they get the higher of struggling\u00a0Burnley\u00a0at Turf Moor on Wednesday night.<\/p>\n

\u2018I imagine today, I imagine on Wednesday, I believed per week ago because I see them on daily basis and I do know the extent that we now have,\u2019 Arteta told reporters shortly after Arsenal\u2019s setback.<\/p>\n

\u2018But today, in the event that they must be more convinced, I believe they are actually more convinced. We’re talking about it within the dressing room.<\/p>\n

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Haaland scored the winner to shut the gap at the highest to simply three points (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Arteta cut a frustrated fixture on the touchline on the Etihad (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018It\u2019s a brand new league now. We now have three points of advantage, they’ve the sport in hand.<\/p>\n

\u2018All the things remains to be to play for. We understand how much we wish it and we should not going to stop!\u2019<\/p>\n

Arsenal can be desperate to get their title charge back on target once they return to motion at home to an out-of-form Newcastle side next weekend.<\/p>\n

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Silva went \u2018above and beyond\u2019 for City, says Neville (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dissecting Sunday\u2019s top-of-the-table clash on his Sky Sports podcast,<\/a> ex-Manchester United and England full-back Neville made sure to single out Bernardo Silva for special praise after an \u2018above-and-beyond\u2019 display.<\/p>\n

\u2018Bernardo Silva within the second half, what a performance that’s simply to grip a game,\u2019 Neville said.<\/p>\n

\u2018I believe people sometimes develop into surprised after I\u2019ve talked about Paul Scholes, within the last 5 – 6 years of his Manchester United profession, gripping a football match by the scruff of the neck, controlling it and dominating the speed of it.<\/p>\n

\u2018What we\u2019ve just seen there from Bernardo Silva is totally above and beyond.<\/p>\n

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Guardiola\u2019s men will go top with victory at Burnley on Wednesday (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018He just beat Viktor Gyokeres on a header on the back post, he\u2019s then pressing two minutes later, and he epitomises what Manchester City are: that have, that know-how but in addition that energy, that professionalism.<\/p>\n

\u2018I assumed he was absolutely sensational within the second half and he just lifted it a gear.<\/p>\n

\u2018In some ways, Arsenal had some good probabilities. Eberechi Eze hitting the post, Kai Havertz\u2019s header at the pinnacle, what a moment that’s.<\/p>\n

\u2018But City just edged it with the victory but in addition just edged it in performance levels within the second half.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Neville won eight league titles with Manchester United (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Neville, who backed Arsenal to win the title initially of the season, was encouraged by the Gunners\u2019 performance within the context of their recent performances.<\/p>\n

However the eight-time Premier League winner is confident City have now wrestled the \u2018momentum\u2019 firmly of their favour ahead of their trip to struggling Burnley in midweek.<\/p>\n

\u2018My takeaway for Arsenal today is that\u2019s one of the simplest ways that they might have lost,\u2019 Neville went on.<\/p>\n

\u2018I do know the massive talk before the match was the bottling, the freezing, the anxiety, the nervousness, the pressure\u2026 I actually think they handled the occasion thoroughly and that\u2019s positive.<\/p>\n

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Hincapie \u2018stuck to the duty\u2019 but is proscribed going forward, in keeping with Neville (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018They didn\u2019t come here today and never play, they didn\u2019t come here today and do not know. I assumed they played game of football, probably the greatest performances I\u2019ve seen here from an away team to be fair.<\/p>\n

\u2018So for Arsenal, it\u2019s nearly as good as it may well get. But you\u2019re up against a juggernaut and that juggernaut is Pep Guardiola.<\/p>\n

\u2018Manchester City have won title after title in these last seven or eight years they usually\u2019ve just stole ahead at the proper time, they\u2019ve got that momentum, and they’ll go in front on Wednesday. They\u2019ll beat Burnley at Burnley.<\/p>\n

\u2018There\u2019s still a technique to go, it\u2019s going to be difficult now for Arsenal, but how they psychologically get better from that is going to be really necessary.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Timber has been sidelined for the last month with a muscle injury (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Neville picked out Havertz for special praise, while applauding Hincapie and Mosquera for \u2018sticking to the duty\u2019 and frustrating City from a defensive perspective.<\/p>\n

But in keeping with Neville, the full-backs\u2019 deficiencies going forward meant Arsenal were \u2018blocked off\u2019 when it got here to constructing attacks from the left and right flanks.<\/p>\n

\u2018Arsenal were hampered enormously by their full-backs,\u2019 he explained.<\/p>\n

\u2018I assumed actually they did job, Hincapie and Mosquera, they really stuck to their task, but they\u2019re limited on the ball.<\/p>\n

\u2018So for those who take into consideration Matheus Nunes and Nico O\u2019Reilly for City, or how Jurrien Timber or Riccardo Calafiori or others are for Arsenal, they were just blocked off.<\/p>\n

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Arsenal will look to bounce back once they entertain Newcastle next weekend (Picture: Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018You haven\u2019t got that subtlety on that ball or that ability, that protected, consistentand reliable ability, to feed the ball in, good touches and passes and getting it into your front players and midfield players because they\u2019re centre-backs effectively, they\u2019re not full-backs.<\/p>\n

\u2018So I assumed they stuck to the duty very well, the 2 full-backs for Arsenal, but you lose lots while you lose Timber, you lose lots. He\u2019s a little bit of a powerhouse going forward, he links very well.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m not mentioning Bukayo Saka because every player can get an injury so Noni Madueke is there, Gabriel Martinelli is there, you possibly can\u2019t whinge about Saka. <\/p>\n

\u2018But I believe losing each of their full-backs would have cost them today when it comes to on the ball and with the ability to get forward.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Who will win the Premier League title?<\/h3>\n