Gary Neville blames Arsenal man for Cherki’s goal
Gary Neville believes that Gabriel should have stood up quickly to prevent Rayan Cherki from opening the scoring for Manchester City against Arsenal. The early goal proved important in a match that carried major significance in the title race.The Frenchman opened the scoring after just 16 minutes, although Arsenal responded well by equalising only two minutes later. Even so, conceding first against a side of City’s quality always creates a difficult challenge for any opponent.AdvertisementEarly Goal Put Arsenal Under PressureCity knows how to defend leads and demonstrated that again after moving in front during the second half. Falling behind initially was therefore a poor situation for Arsenal, just as it was damaging when they conceded again later in the contest.City eventually won the game, while Arsenal were left to regret the chances they missed. However, attention will also fall on the goals they conceded, with some believing both moments could have been avoided through sharper defensive reactions.Neville focused particularly on the opening goal and the role played by Gabriel in the build-up. He felt the defender needed to react more quickly once the second ball broke loose in a dangerous area.AdvertisementNeville Gives His VerdictSpeaking about the first goal, Neville said, as quoted by the Metro: “Arsenal are shellshocked by a moment of pure class. City just win the second ball and I thought Gabriel should have got up quicker, I thought he should have got up to the ball quicker.“As soon as he doesn’t, he’s back in his own box and it’s almost like a fielder on the edge of the boundary in cricket, the way in which Gabriel tries to tackle him. That’s not going to be enough.”There is little value in dwelling on blame now. Arsenal instead need to focus on reproducing the overall level of their performance in their remaining fixtures, because they played a very good game despite the defeat.AdvertisementIf they can maintain that standard, they will give themselves a strong chance of winning the rest of their matches this season. The display showed enough quality to remain confident, even if the result was disappointing._____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…AdvertisementMore Stories / Latest NewsGary Neville blames Arsenal man for Cherki’s goal19 April 2026, 23:59Haaland says he won the battle with Gabriel at the key moment19 April 2026, 23:00“Weren’t sharp enough” Odegaard reacts to Arsenal’s loss at the Etihad
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