Premier League Match Ball 2020-21

Premier League Match Ball 2020-21

The Premier League match ball is the Nike Flight. To my eyes, the ball doesn't bend well. So many times this season we've seen players shoot wide of the post when we might expect the ball to bend in more given the amount of whip (side; US English: 'English') applied to it. 

Watching the Champions League (the Adidas Finale 20 Pro match ball) and the Europa League (the Molten Europa League 2020/21 match ball, with a 'traditional' pentagon-hexagon panelling) it was noticeable that the ball seemed to bend more easily than the Nike mentioned above.

Time for the Premier League to rethink their partnership with Nike, perhaps.

Arsenal 0 - 1 Manchester City | Sun 21 February 2021

Arsenal 0 - 1 Manchester City

Premier League

21 Feb 21

1 

City dominated, looking a little like Barcelona during the tikitaki period: keeping the ball from their opponents. Fluid positioning. Excellent rotation. No striker. Interesting team shape. Sterling's headed goal on 2'.

2

Arsenal dominated possession for a while in the second half. What caused the change? Arsenal, once in possession, played shorter passes and kept the ball well, particularly at the back. City don't like to be out of possession and their play became more ragged as a result. Arsenal supremo Arteta applauded his team's play for good reason.

It would be interesting to see what the current City team would do if they went behind early in a game. But the team will change with Agüero coming back to fitness. He didn't play today, and Gabriel Jesus only came on in the second half.

This was Manchester City's 18th consecutive win. A great achievement.