Manchester City players fume at Arsenal tactics in 2-2 Premier League draw - ‘Dark arts’ and ‘dirty’
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Published 23/09/2024 at 06:39 GMT
Manchester City players were not shy to criticise 10-man Arsenal’s tactics after snatching a 2-2 draw in the Premier League. John Stones, who scored a 98th minute equaliser, described their rivals’ defensive approach as “clever, or dirty”, with fellow defender Kyle Walker calling it the “dark arts” as Bernardo Silva claimed only one team “came to play football”.
Bernardo Silva was one of several Manchester City players to criticise Arsenal's tactics after a 2-2 draw
Image credit: Getty Images
Manchester City players accused 10-man Arsenal of the “dark arts” after earning a 2-2 draw against their Premier League title rivals, with a 98th minute equaliser in a bad tempered match.
John Stones scored as the champions finally broke down a resilient defensive display from Mikel Arteta’s side, who developed a rear-guard approach after Leandro Trossard was sent off before half-time having picked up a second yellow guard for delaying the restart, with the score at 2-1.
Erling Haaland had given City the lead in the ninth minute, before Riccardo Calafiori levelled with a brilliant long range effort and Gabriel headed in from a corner. With Arsenal a player down, they retreated into their own half to defend the lead before Stones scored deep in stoppage time.
"As a football match, it is a great spectacle for the Premier League. Probably not so much certain stuff - I think it’s part and parcel of the game and we'll say the dark arts,” Kyle Walker told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I think as a Manchester City fan or player, you are obviously frustrated. As an Arsenal manager, he is going to say well played and well managed."
When asked whether he agreed with his team-mate, Stones said he was not surprised by their opponents’ approach.
“I don’t know if they have mastered it, they’ve done it for a few years, and we know to expect that. You can call it clever, or dirty, whichever way you want to put it,” said the England centre-back.
“They break up the game, and it upsets the rhythm for everyone. I thought we dealt with it really well. It’s not easy when those things are happening, and you’re trying to gain momentum, you’re trying to get a foot in the game and get above them. Those little stoppages stop that.”
Bernardo Silva also put the boot into Arsenal’s tactics and used the way Liverpool have played against them to taunt Arteta’s side.
"The difference? I don't know. Maybe that Liverpool have already won a Premier League, Arsenal haven't. That Liverpool have won a Champions League, Arsenal haven't.” said the Portugal midfielder.
"Liverpool always faced us face to face to try to win the games, so by this perspective the games against Arsenal haven't been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool. So yes, maybe a different rivalry.
"There was only one team that came to play football. The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately. But at the end we got a draw, the best we could get considering the context of the last moments of the match.
“We're not happy as we wanted the three points, but personally I'm happy with the way we came to play and faced the game. I'm glad we always enter the pitch to try to win every match."
Manchester City’s draw leaves Pep Guardiola’s side top of the table, with Arsenal fourth - though they make up half of the teams which remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season alongside Brighton and Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest.
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