Two of the Premier League’s finest suffered shock pre-season defeats to lower league teams this week. Arsenal and Manchester City fans shouldn’t be concerned, but here’s how it happened.
The two games were matches both Oldham Athletic and Dartford fans won’t forget in a hurry, even if they were meaningless pre-season friendlies.
Oldham 2-1 Manchester City
League One side Oldham Athletic will have relished getting one over on the Premier League champions. It isn’t every day they get to say that. The Lancashire club are managed by former City striker Paul Dickov, whose management style is like his playing one – laced with an innate desire to compete and win every game.
City started a relatively strong side, captained by Dutch international Nigel de Jong. Joe Hart, James Milner, Joleon Lescott, Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri also featured. Up front was the returning Roque Santa Cruz, who was on loan at Real Betis last season, and does not appear to be in Mancini’s plans for next season.
Santa Cruz scored City’s goal, and if there were any scouts from potential suitors watching they will have been pleased with what they saw from him when he rounded the goalkeeper to score the equaliser. It was Frenchman Clichy who was at fault for Oldham’s opener, caught out playing a loose pass.
The stars from Euro 2012 were all withdrawn with half of an hour to play, the match was all about getting the ring-rust out of their systems. It meant when City replaced them with young academy players they lost a lot of their zip and Oldham, well into their pres-season preparations scored a memorable winner in injury time through new signing Connor Grounds, to cap a memorable victory.
Dartford 2-1 Arsenal
This was not Arsenal’s first team, by any stretch, but the line-up featured a number of players who had featured on their pre-season tour of Asia. Jet lag, inexperience, blame what you will, but they were simply beaten by a team more motivated to win.
Included in the Gunners line-up were Nico Yennaris and Chuks Aneke, who both scored or assisted goals in their comeback win over Malaysia XI a week earlier. Hotly tipped prospect Serge Gnabry was also handed a start from midfield. Sanchez Watt also started, as well as the exciting German midfielder Thomas Eisfeld.
Dartford are ‘only’ a conference side, but often non-league teams are more ‘up for it’ when given the chance to topple big names in pre-season, and so it proved here- already on the back of a win over West Ham. Goalkeeper Damian Martinez was beaten in the first half and Arsenal went in 1-0 down at the break.
In the second half Sanchez Watt won a penalty after a clever pass from substitute Conor Henderson, before converting it to level. Arsenal pushed forward to find a winner but it proved their undoing when they conceded what proved to be the winner 10 minutes from time.
Coach Terry Burton said after the match it was a ‘tough learning curve’ for the young side, and if they can learn their lessons then each player will be better prepared for the challenges in their careers ahead.
image: © matthew wilkinson
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