Manchester City and Arsenal played out an entertaining 2-all draw at the Etihad yesterday. The Premier League encounter between the two teams had no shortage of talking points across the 90 minutes. But come the final whistle City had risen above Arsenal’s tactics to salvage a point from the match. But in doing so they showed the mettle that has served them so well in previous seasons to claim the past four Premier League titles.
One talking point to come out of the game was the tactical approach employed by Mikel Arteta and his team. Arsenal were determined to frustrate Manchester City across the full 90 minutes. Even when the game was 11 versus 11 Arsenal employed tactics that were designed to frustrate Pep Guardiola’s side. When they could Arsenal would disrupt the rhythm of the game. It was a tactic that could be deemed successful as they went into the interval with a 2-1 lead. But with Leandro Trossard seeing red on the stroke of halftime Arsenal’s approach would change in the second half.
Down to 10 men Arsenal decided to sit deep in an attempt to hold onto their 2-1 lead. They replaced Bukayo Saka with Ben White at halftime. Given the fact that they had to face the world champions with 10 men for the entire second half that was an understandable tactical move by Mikel Arteta. It almost paid off until John Stones equalised for Manchester City in the 98th minute of the game. By scoring late City had risen above Arsenal’s tactics to claim a point at the Etihad. Just how important that point could be won’t be known until later in the season.
READ MORE: Manchester City and Arsenal’s rivalry has gone up a notch.
Arsenal’s tactical approach wasn’t lost on Manchester City following the game. In an interview with SkySports that was relayed by the Mirror, John Stones thought his team handled Arsenal’s approach well. Speaking post-game, he said: “It was a difficult afternoon for both teams, how they stop the play, how they use the side of football that not many teams do. You can call it clever or dirty, whichever way you want to put it, but they break up the game which upsets the rhythm. They use it to their advantage and we dealt with it very well. They slow the game down, they get the keeper on the floor so they can get some information onto the pitch. We had to control our emotions during those tough times and I felt like we did. There were a lot of tough tackles, some silly decisions, but we did well.”
Bernardo Silva takes aim at Arsenal’s tactical approach.
Bernardo Silva also shared his thoughts on Arsenal’s approach post-game. He believed only one team was there to play football at the Etihad yesterday. In an interview relayed by the Mirror Bernardo said: “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. It all started in the very first second. In the first action, we realised what was going to happen. We had a player injured after they sent him to the ground twice in 10 minutes. We had a goal conceded after the referee called our captain and then didn’t allow him to recover his position. The second goal is already their usual block to our keeper, which was allowed by the referee. Then the referee allowed a sequence of time-wasting events. The thing that bothers me the most is having a lot of meetings with the FA at the beginning of each season. They tell us they will control this kind of situation and will stop them, but in the end, it doesn’t have any worth. They say a lot but nothing happens.”
Manchester City have a ‘football’ advantage over Arsenal based on the tactical approach of both teams.
Manchester City overcame Arsenal’s tactics to claim a precious point yesterday. Given that Arsenal spent the entire second half with 10 men, their second-half approach is understandable. But what is becoming clear in the meetings between to the two teams is that Arsenal appears unable to take Manchester City on head-to-head in a football sense. They have to resort to the ‘dark arts’ to keep up with the world champions. That may or may not be the right approach, that depends on your point of view. But it does make for great theatre as evidenced by yesterday’s events at the Etihad.
Bernardo stokes the fire ahead of the next meeting between Manchester City and Arsenal.
Bernardo Silva also stoked the flames ahead of the next meeting between the two teams. The Portuguese international was asked how City’s rivalry with Arsenal compared to City’s rivalry with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side. Bernardo fired a shot at Arsenal when he said: “The difference? I don’t know. Maybe that Liverpool have already won the Premier League, Arsenal haven’t. That Liverpool have won, the Champions League, Arsenal haven’t. Liverpool always faced us face to face to try to win the games, so from ,this perspective the games against Arsenal haven’t been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool. So yes, maybe a different rivalry.”
Bernardo Silva’s comments have set the scene for the next meeting between the two teams. Whatever your feelings are on Arsenal’s tactics when they face Pep Guardiola’s side they do set the scene for an enthralling battle between the two teams.