Degrees of Enjoyment in Football

When the match between Manchester City and Arsenal ended in a goalless draw, I wondered: what can be said about that game? Is it weak and boring? Are there positioning mistakes from the attackers? Was the play random? Are midfield mistakes unforgivable for both teams? Does the coach's tactics constrain the player's freedom and creativity?

The writer and author John Lancaster said in an article published in National Geographic magazine: "Good football is a tough game, and good football is a beautiful game, and both difficulty and beauty are intertwined. When you see the difficulty in the applied collective tactics with utmost precision and when you see this difficult collective tactic applied skillfully and artistically, admiration increases, and you might feel some enjoyment."

I saw the match filled with conflict, especially as there are various forms of conflict. Sometimes it's an open conflict between two teams, with mutual attacks and attempts from here and there, and perhaps the conflict results in several goals and scenarios full of drama. You emerge as a viewer filled with enjoyment. Sometimes the conflict is between a team attacking and another defending, and the defense might be good and organized, leaving you satisfied with this smart tactic that achieves the goal of the defending team. It's a hard luck for the attacker.

Arteta, the coach of Arsenal, left satisfied with the draw, while Guardiola left angry with it. Arteta succeeded in preventing City from scoring any goals on their home ground for the first time after 58 matches, which is not an achievement to be underestimated.

The English Premier League has seen an increase in the number of goals this season. But Arsenal created an advantage by eliminating opportunities for competing teams. So, who says football is supposed to be entertaining? What is the definition of enjoyment in football? Is it goals? Is it conflict and competitiveness? Is it drama and surprises?

The Sunday match between Manchester City and Arsenal was described as an epic encounter between the sorcerer and the apprentice, as British journalist Jonathan Wilson stated in The Guardian in an article about the top three elite teams in the Premier League.

Arsenal managed a total of three shots on target, equal to the number of shots Brentford had against Manchester United between minutes 53 and 55. You should enjoy the tactical puzzles if you want, the levels of concentration and planning, and the clear level of lack of innovation and initiative, but this was nonsense for the tiki-taka generation.

Guardiola might feel that considering the injuries they suffered, with Ederson, Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Nathan Aké leaving in the first half, the draw was a reasonable result, especially since the team possesses the clearest method, and the race will continue fierce and fierce between Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City, and all three will play for the stake of winning in each of the initial nine matches, then hope for Liverpool to stumble, which will fight in Jurgen Klopp's farewell season. It is the last season for the venerable German coach, and the best gift the team members can give him is the English league title for the second time under his leadership.

In the mini-league between the top three, Arsenal leads with eight points, while the other two teams have three points each. What's amazing is that in those six matches between the top three, only 11 goals were scored. In this league, which could witness the highest goal-scoring rate in the English Premier League with an average of 3.23 goals per match.

I found the City vs. Arsenal match enjoyable. I saw it from the perspective that enjoyment in football has different degrees. The beauty and enjoyment and power in football matches... are the result of the game's evolution and its playing styles, produced by stars and heroes from their time with all the innovation and renewal that time brings.