Mikel Arteta and Arsenal held league leaders Manchester City to a 2-2 at the Etihad last weekend. It took a late goal from John Stones deep into added time to level the game.
Arsenal remain two points behind the defending champions with many games to go. The game was very hostile between the two sides, and the tension was also there off the pitch. After the game, Manchester City players accused the Gunners of time wasting and play acting during the game.
City midfielder Bernardo Silva even accused Mikel Arteta’s side of not ‘coming 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.”
Mikel Arteta still respects Guardiola
Arteta said that the comments between the two teams were part of the game, and that he has nothing against Pep Guardiola:
“First of all, because I love him, I respect him, I admire him and I admire his team and everything that he does. This is sport. One thing is our profession another is our personal relationship. If our relationship was damaged because one draws and the other one wins or the amount of times that they’ve beaten us, I would not talk to him anymore. So that’s not our relationship, especially the relationship that I consider both of us have. In sport it will never get in my way a personal relationship. That’s for sure.”
Gunners boss addresses accusations
Arsenal have had to deal with players and pundits alike complaining about their ‘dark arts’. Mikel Arteta says he did not take the comments from the city players personal.
It depends. If those accusations affect you it’s because maybe they’re true. If they don’t and you know and you do what you believe is right and you show your integrity it doesn’t have to be. There are opinions and if you don’t like opinions then you shouldn’t be sitting in the position that I am. It’s quite simple. Don’t take it personal. It’s part of our job. The things that you really care about make sure you handle them in the right way. That relationship I really care about. The same with a lot of people in that staff and players that I spent really important years of my life with.“
