Hull City’s brave resistance at the Emirates lasted for 72 minutes before Arsenal found a breakthrough, and that was enough to seal a 1-0 victory against last season’s Championship play-off winners.
A determined, organised and resolute City display frustrated the Gunners until the breakthrough came in the final 20 minutes, when Noni Madueke’s shot was beaten away by Kostas Tzolakis, and the quickest to the rebound was Martin Odegaard to turn in.
The Tigers will be pleased, and disappointed, having put so much into the game that their concession was from a fine Tzolakis save, while at the other end, didn’t make the most of the opportunities at the other end. As it is, City’s winless run is extended to eight games, though with nine points, and this performance, they’ve shown they can compete and that must give them belief.
City escaped just before the break when Nobel Mendy looked to have dragged down Kai Havertz in the box. After a VAR review on the field, it was deemed the German was offside, and the Senegalese defender escaped another near-miss. Before that, however, the Tigers had delivered a strong, resolute first-half display where they kept the Gunners largely at arm’s length and were not without their own chances.
John Egan headed wide inside two minutes, while Elliot Stroud’s fizzing effort was beaten away by David Raya, who had flapped at a corner and got away with it, and that miss would prove costly.
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Sergej Jakirovic made two changes to his personnel and, interestingly, made a bold decision to adjust the shape. Ditching his 5-3-1 setup that had served City well in the play-offs, and then the early weeks of the season, Jakirovic opted to go with two strikers at the Emirates in a 5-3-2 shape.
Mohamed-Ali Cho was handed a first league start up front with Oli McBurnie in place of Mo Belloumi, who had complained of a glute issue in training earlier this week. Lucas Gourna-Douath was also handed a first Premier League start, coming in for Ryan Giles to join Tim Iroegbunam and Regan Slater in a three-man midfield. Stroud dropped to left-back, and there was a first appearance in a matchday squad for Jack Butland. Mikel Arteta kept faith with the same side that beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield last Sunday.
Inside the opening moments, McBurnie won his side a corner and from that Stroud delivery to the back post, Egan headed into the side netting, and given his reaction, the Irishman felt he should have done much better. It was his head-in-hands moment. Gabriel flicked a header wide shortly after from a Madueke delivery as the hosts gradually found some attacking rhythm.
Just before the 20-minute mark, Iroegbunam pinched the ball outside the box; it made its way to Stroud, who forced a good save from Raya, before the ex-Everton man’s shot was blocked away.
The big moment of the half came when referee Farai Hallam stopped play and went over to the monitor to look at a Mendy challenge on Havertz. Usually, when that happens, you know what’s coming and City were fearing a penalty against them, but bizarrely, he announced to the 60,000-strong crowd that the German was offside.
Gourna was booked early in the second half for catching Calafiori late in the middle of the Tigers’ half, and then Cho looked to be dragged down on halfway by Tzolis, who was the last man, but play went on. The Gunners were baying for a second yellow for Coylle after he caught Tzolis. Meanwhile, as tempers flared, Jakirovic was booked for what the referee felt were his protests at the foul on Cho.
On the hour, Jakirovic replaced Coyle and Cho with ex-Gunner Brooke Norton-Cuffy and Joe Gelhardt, and within 30 seconds, the full-back was booked for a lunge on Tzolis. Arteta’s first changes saw Merino and Gyokeres on for Rice and Havertz two minutes later. Eze and Hincapie were then introduced by Arteta, with City forced into a change of their own when Ajayi sat on the deck before being replaced by Lucas Herrington.
City’s resistance was eventually broken 17 minutes from time when Martin Odegaard prodded in from close range after Tzolakis had prodded away Madueke’s shot. The Gunners skipper stole a march on Egan to turn in. Jakirovic made a double change with just over 15 minutes to go with Christos Mouzakitis and Giles replacing Iroegbunam and Stroud.
City pushed for an equaliser in the final stages, but came up against the Gunners’ brick wall and were left to settle for nothing other than pride in their display, and renewed hope that they will continue to be a difficult team to beat in the Premier League.
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Calafiori; Rice, Guimaraes, Odegaard; Madueke, Havertz, Tzolis. Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Merino, Eze, Gyokeres.
City: Tzolakis, Stroud, Egan, Mendy, Ajayi, Coyle, Douath, Iroegbunam, Slater, Cho, McBurnie. Subs: Butland, Giles, Thomas, Gelhardt, Hjerto-Dahl, Norton-Cuffy, Herrington, Mouzakitis, Vaz.
Referee: Farai Hallam
Man of the Match: Kostas Tzolakis
Attendance: 60,285 (3,000 from Hull City)
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