It was an unfamiliar looking Mikel Arteta in the last few minutes of Arsenal's defeat by Manchester City.
There were no eye-pulsing, vein-bulging celebrations. Nor were there any furious protests in the direction of either the on-field referee, his assistants or the fourth official. Instead, the Spaniard looked despondent, remaining stationary in his technical area and appearing simply resigned to the fact that his mentor, Pep Guardiola, had got the better of him once again. He can't say he hadn't been warned.
This was the first time that they had entered this particular Premier League encounter on anything like a level footing. In recent years, Arsenal have always been looking up at City, wanting to be competing just like them. Their displays in the first half of this season have suggested they're getting closer. But this was to be no defining, 'coming of age' moment. What actually played out was a remarkable contrast in performance from two touchline technicians famed for their tactical tinkering.
