Empty Etihad can't silence rampant City

LONDON • It did not look like a football match, it did not sound like one and it did not smell like one, but the goal of restarting the Premier League was achieved on Wednesday as Manchester City beat Arsenal 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

Although the absence of spectators, inevitably, meant a strange lack of atmosphere in the ground and for the millions watching on television globally, rhetoric about the sport being pointless without fans was not supported by the evidence of 90 minutes on the field.

The league had officially ended its enforced three-month absence due to the coronavirus lockdown, with Aston Villa's 0-0 draw at home to Sheffield United a couple of hours earlier.

But the prime time slot was saved for title-holders City against 13-time champions Arsenal.

It was business as usual on the field with City deserved winners thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling, Kevin de Bruyne and Phil Foden while Arsenal were clearly second-best, hampered by early injuries and the sending-off of David Luiz soon after half-time.

Everything else about the night, however, was very unfamiliar.

Sterility was, of course, the goal. Outside the ground the food stands were closed, there were no fans gathered, no beers were downed and the only indication of a game being played were security staff, who like most others, wore face masks.

The only reminder of a normal match night was the smell of the adjacent fish and chip shop wafting across the perimeter of the Etihad, without the usual competition from burger vans.

The small number of media and medical personnel and staff had to undergo temperature tests outside the stadium after signing declarations about their health status.

Inside, City tried their utmost to bring some sense of life to the empty venue with flags and banners placed on the bottom two tiers of the stands to cover up the empty seats.

Messages from fans around the world were broadcast on video-screens and the PA system did its best to replicate some of the usual soundtrack to a game with prematch music and team announcements.

Widespread disinfection took place, including the changing facilities, dugouts, match balls, goal posts, corner flags and substitution boards, while everyone other than players and coaching staff on team benches had to wear face coverings.

The players, as they have done in Germany, Spain and Italy, who had returned to action in the past weeks, adjusted to the new reality of closed-doors football well - quickly settling into the rhythm and intensity one would expect.

There were no signs of players lacking commitment or focus without the noise of a crowd and the only concern would be the two early injuries to Arsenal's Granit Xhaka and Pablo Mari, which may reflect the impact of the lengthy absence from the field.

For City manager Pep Guardiola, he was just glad that his team - who are now 22 points behind Liverpool (82) with nine games left - finished the match injury-free.

He said: "It was a mystery how the team would be after more than two months out.

"But we were lucky to score the first goal and, with the penalty and the sending-off, it was much easier.

"In general, after two months you don't know how the team is going to feel. We made a good performance against a good team."

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE