He thought: "When Inter played pass and control, I felt Podolski's tactical understanding was better than his teammates, it seems he really absorbed Wenger's teachings. He's playing effortlessly today. Returning to Arsenal after his loan at Inter expires is the right choice."
At 14 minutes and 03 seconds into the match, Wenger raised his wrist, glanced at his watch, and then gently put it down, turning to speak to the assistant coach.
Generally speaking, the initial surge at the start of a match lasts only 15 minutes, at most not exceeding 20 minutes, otherwise the players' stamina will be depleted early, making it difficult to sustain the rest of the match.
Pellegrini also looked up at the scoreboard of the Emirates Stadium, 14:12.
The experienced Chilean coach was psychologically prepared for this start. He knew Arsenal couldn't press forward like this indefinitely; once they started to retreat, it would be Manchester City's moment to counterattack.
