Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta responded to critics of his team’s style on Sunday. The Gunners held league holders Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at the Etihad.
Arsenal took a 2-1 lead into the half time break after Riccardo Calafiori pulled the Gunners level after Erling Haaland opened the scoring. Gabriel headed home a corner unmarked to make it 2-1. In the dying minutes of the first half, Leandro Trossard was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. The Belgian was booked for kicking the ball away after fouling Bernardo Silva.
Silva, after the game, called out Arsenal for their defensive setup. The Manchester City midfielder claimed ‘only one team came to play football’ at the Etihad:
“There was only one team that came to play football,” Silva told TNT Brazil. “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.”
Arsenal fans believe the Portuguese midfielder should also have been booked after he carried the ball 10 yards from a free kick sport, just before Riccardo Calafiori scored.
Mikel Arteta responds to critics
Arsenal rightfully tried to defend a 2-1 lead in the second half after going down to 10 men. The Gunners kept out Manchester City, who had no answer to the defensive block. It took a deflected effort from John Stones to level the scores.
Mikel Arteta says his team only adapted to the game state:
“Well, we had to play the game that we had to play. The first 15 minutes, we couldn’t. They played 30 seconds with 10 men. Look what they did. It’s normal what they did.
“Unfortunately, we’ve been in the same situation. We were in that same situation with Granit and when we lost 5-0. So we’d better learn. If not I would be very thick.”
“The team has a desire to compete in any context; to win and to adapt. Different competitions and different ways of playing — it is superb.”
When asked about Manuel Akanji’s comments about Arsenal’s time wasting tactics, Arteta denied any speculation:
“Happy? No. Because we wanted to win the three games, but I understand how tough that context is and how difficult it is.
“The things we have to deal with and our own issues with the amount of players we have out. It is a significant improvement and we have to be happy with that.”
