A while back Fifa’s resident tousle-haired visionary Marco van Basten came up with a ragbag of extreme measures – abolishing offside, introducing sin-bins – designed to free modern football from the dominance of deathly all-out team defence. Presumably he has not been to the Emirates Stadium recently. Or indeed, on this evidence, the Etihad Stadium either.
Watching Arsenal and Manchester City play out this zany, at times slightly wild, 2-2 draw it was tempting to place an urgent call to Switzerland. Marco, old boy, call off the search. We’re years ahead of you. The oddly shapeless future is already here.
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