Manchester City’s John Stones and Bernardo Silva criticized Arsenal’s tactics of time-wasting and what they referred to as “dirty” play after the two teams tied 2-2 at the Etihad Stadium. Stones mentioned that Arsenal had been employing these tactics for years to upset the rhythm of the game and that although it was challenging, City managed to deal with it. Silva added that Arsenal’s approach did not allow for much in terms of actual football play, and indicated that the referee allowed certain events, like blocking City’s goalkeeper, to go unpunished.
Mikel Arteta, Arsenal’s manager, also expressed frustration with the referee’s decision-making, particularly when one of his players was sent off for kicking the ball away after a similar incident involving a City player went unpunished. Despite these complaints, Arteta praised his team for their resilience in playing with 10 men for a large portion of the match.
The game itself saw twists and turns, with Arsenal almost securing a win before Stones scored a late equalizer. Both managers had differing opinions on certain incidents during the game, with Guardiola criticizing Kyle Walker for not marking an Arsenal player during their goal. Guardiola was also unsure of the extent of Rodri’s injury, while Arteta downplayed an incident where Haaland bounced the ball off Gabriel’s head after the goal celebration, attributing it to emotions. Overall, the game showcased a competitive and at times controversial match between the two Premier League sides.
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Photo credit www.theguardian.com
