The title clash took place this Sunday in the Premier League. Winner of the last four English championships, Manchester City faced Arsenal, their runner-up in 2022 and 2023. A match that smelled of sulphur between two teams that regularly trade blows. If last year’s confrontation at the Etihad Stadium had resulted in a sad 0-0, this time, the match was more lively with a score of 2-2, a sending off for Leandro Trossard and a big injury for Rodri. Snatching the equalizer in added time thanks to John Stones, Manchester City retains the lead in the Premier League while Arsenal are fourth with a two-point deficit. Despite this rather positive result, Pep Guardiola’s protégés are feeling bad.
Bernardo Silva took out the sulphator
Exasperated at the end of the match, Bernardo Silva regretted Arsenal’s approach during the match which he considered too calculating: “There was only one team that came to play football. The other came to play to the limits of what was possible and allowed by the referee, unfortunately. We are not happy, because we wanted the three points, but I am happy with the way we played. I am happy that we always go on the pitch to try to win every game. It all started from the first seconds. We had a player injured after they sent him to the ground twice in 10 minutes.»
The Portuguese attacking midfielder also added that the Gunners did not have a winning mentality unlike Liverpool, Manchester City’s other big rivals in recent years: “Liverpool have already won the Premier League title and Arsenal have not. Liverpool have won the Champions League and Arsenal have not. That is why the rivalry is different. Let me also add that Liverpool always play us with the clear intention of winning the game. So from that point of view, the games against Arsenal have not been like the ones we had against Liverpool.»
Stones and Guardiola understand Arsenal’s strategy
English defender John Stones, who scored the equaliser, agreed with his teammate. For him, the outcome of the match was expected, even if he doesn’t particularly blame the Arsenal players: “They’ve been doing this for a few years, we know we can expect it. You can call it clever, dirty, whatever you want. They break up the game and it disrupts the rhythm. It was a tough afternoon, the way they stopped the game, the way they used the side of football that few teams do“.
Even Pep Guardiola got angry and pointed out the time gained by Arsenal players and their ability to break the rhythm: “I don’t know how many players had cramps, but of course it can happen in a demanding game. I might have done the same because they were down to ten men. You have to ask Mikel what the tactics were. They were good with the long balls to Kai Havertz who is very strong and they tried the second balls. In the end, we were patient, we had chances and we scored the goal. That’s all.» Kyle Walker even used mystical terms: « It was an integral part of the game we were seeing: the dark arts.“Arsenal achieved their goal by getting at least a point while being down to ten men, but the method was not justified by the Sky Blues.
