After the second half began, Arsenal continued to use their numerical advantage to control the initiative on the pitch.
Anyone could clearly see that after halftime, Man City had become even more passive.
It was inevitable.
In the first half, Man City had still been able to rely on their abundant stamina, running tirelessly to make up for their shortage of players. But players were only human, not robots. After expending themselves to a certain degree, they began to run out of steam.
That was also why the data showed that the later a red card appeared, the smaller its impact on the match.
And in a match where a red card appeared just four minutes after kickoff, it was fatal for the team that had lost a player.
Even the Sky Sports commentator had said during halftime that the fact Man City had managed to make it 2–2 in the first half was already remarkable. Even if they ultimately lost the match, Man City could still hold their heads high.
But after the second half began, everyone discovered that Man City really was being forced into a passive, defensive position. Their players had indeed expended tremendous energy, yet every one of them was still running and defending desperately, treasuring every chance the team had to possess the ball.
Their 4-4-1 formation remained compact, and they did not allow Arsenal to easily break through their defensive line.
Possession continued to tilt toward Arsenal, but Man City's defense remained extremely tenacious.
In the forty-eighth minute of the second half, Chamakh burst past Boateng down the left. After reaching the left side of the penalty area, he pulled the ball back. Fàbregas combined with Nasri, then drove a shot from the left side of the penalty spot. But under pressure from center-backs