{"id":322126,"date":"2026-04-21T11:16:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T05:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=322126"},"modified":"2026-04-21T11:16:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T05:46:01","slug":"gary-neville-names-one-crucial-mistake-arsenal-made-in-man-city-defeat-football","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/21\/gary-neville-names-one-crucial-mistake-arsenal-made-in-man-city-defeat-football\/","title":{"rendered":"Gary Neville names one crucial mistake Arsenal made in Man City defeat | Football"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Arsenal suffered an enormous setback at Manchester City on Sunday (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gary Neville felt Arsenal were \u2018really good\u2019 in defeat to Manchester City on Sunday, but one lapse cost them within the crunch game within the title race.<\/p>\n

Pep Guardiola\u2019s side won the sport 2-1 because of goals from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland either side of a Kai Havertz equaliser.<\/p>\n

It was a thoroughly entertaining contest as each teams played with energy and intent, while the stakes were incredibly high at the highest of the table.<\/p>\n

Arsenal got here up short and Neville points to 1 moment within the build-up to the house side\u2019s second goal which he believes cost them in an otherwise impressive performance in coping with Manchester City.<\/p>\n

Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast<\/a>, he said: \u2018The one mistake\u2026on the goal where Manchester city counter-attack. What Arsenal did brilliantly in the primary half was all push up together when Manchester City had the ball deep with Donnarumma or the centre-backs.<\/p>\n

\u2018Once they counter-attack all of them get back really quickly and sunk in. I don\u2019t know what went incorrect, but Donnarumma plays a ball for the goal, he throws it, and it goes in between perhaps Martinelli and Havertz on this side and unexpectedly there was acres of space. Why?<\/p>\n

\u2018That shouldn\u2019t occur. Something\u2019s gone fundamentally incorrect.<\/p>\n

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“They don’t seem to be really set” \ud83d\ude33Roy Keane breaks down what went incorrect for Arsenal within the build-up to Erling Haaland’s goal \ud83d\udc47 pic.twitter.com\/9vkT4Szc0w<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 19, 2026<\/a>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure><\/div>\n

\u2018Either the back 4 haven\u2019t pushed in and made all of it compact high up the pitch with the forward players or the forward players have gone too high. I’d say probably the midfield players and back players haven\u2019t pushed in. In the primary half, for those who remember, Gabriel was pressing on the sting of the 18 yard box at one point.<\/p>\n

\u2018Arsenal\u2019s fatigue, perhaps, and City wearing them out signifies that they\u2019ve probably just not done the complete press like they were in the primary half. Half of them have gone and half of them have stayed back and that\u2019s while you get big gaps from front to back<\/p>\n

\u2018That was the error I feel they made on the goal after they\u2019re counter-attacking and Haaland gets that goal.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Erling Haaland scored Manchester City\u2019s winner (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018That was a disappointing one because they really did work that defensively well. They either went full press or all of them went back and defended deep. They got stuck in between, half and half.\u2019<\/p>\n

The tactical error was also spotted by Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira within the Sky Sports studio, but each pointed the finger at Arsenal\u2019s Gabriel Martinelli for pressing too high and too early, leaving the space behind him.<\/p>\n

\u2018Martinelli helps the goalkeeper by pressing too early, they\u2019re probably not set,\u2019 said Keane. \u2018They usually don\u2019t have to go chasing the sport. Martinelli doesn\u2019t should press there and, if anything, it encourages the goalkeeper to throw it out.\u2019<\/p>\n

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His old rival said: \u2018I completely agree. Even when Donnarumma gets the ball in his hand there\u2019s an enormous space between the Arsenal back 4 and the front players, an enormous space that Arsenal wasn\u2019t able to put pressure.\u2019<\/p>\n

Neville can have pointed to 1 tactical mistake over the sport, but Arsenal also missed possibilities to attain which is able to haunt them in the event that they don’t win the Premier League title.<\/p>\n

Mikel Arteta\u2019s men remain top of the table, but perhaps not for for much longer as Manchester City can leapfrog them with a win at Burnley on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

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Kai Havertz missed two great possibilities (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018They weren\u2019t ruthless today, because I feel the performance was there,\u2019 said Neville. \u2018That\u2019s pretty much as good as you\u2019ll see a team come and play at Manchester City. They were really good, nonetheless, they\u2019ve missed three or 4 big possibilities.<\/p>\n

\u2018Havertz misses the one-on-one when Donnarumma comes out, [Eberchi] Eze\u2019s one off the post, then you definately\u2019ve got the Gabriel header and the Havertz header at the tip. Three or 4 massive possibilities. <\/p>\n

\u2018In case you said you\u2019re going to get three or 4 possibilities like that against Manchester City here, you’ve to take one in every of them! They\u2019ve not been ruthless and brought it.\u2019<\/p>\n

The title race continues to be very much on as victory for City at Turf Moor would only put them level on points with Arsenal, but ahead on goal difference or goals scored.<\/p>\n

Then would come a sprint finish with five games to go and neither team capable of afford a mistake.<\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Tim Sherwood names player who \u2018kept Arsenal in title race\u2019 in Man City defeat<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Martin Keown names the 2 players Arsenal missed most in Man City defeat<\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/use><\/svg>MORE: Alan Shearer picks out the result that might cost Arsenal the Premier League title<\/span><\/p>\n

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