Recently, the two English heavyweights, Arsenal and Manchester City, faced each other in the Premier League, where controversies embraced the match. From the start, the match was filled with entertainment and drama. It was a perfect weekend for both the Cityzens and Gunners.
After the game, reporters asked Mikel Arteta about the match; he replied that he know these things from his Manchester City days. The Spaniard acknowledged that he was the one who used to teach the City midfielders how to use tactical fouls. He added that he knows everything about Pep’s team. So, Arteta refused to comment anything on the incident that happened at Etihad.
Players like Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, and Bernardo Silva were aware of these things. According to Standard, Mikel Arteta said that whenever the opponent was trying to create a goalscoring opportunity, the Manchester City midfielder used to stop the attacking transition by making tactical fouls.
In a tactical foul, a player can push the opponent from the back or pull his shirt. Although the player can get a yellow card for this foul, these fouls certainly help the team from conceding a goal.
What really happened?
In the first half, Kyle Walker made a foul. So, match referee Michael Oliver called him in the middle of the pitch to give him a yellow card. Without taking a second, the referee started the match. So, Walker became surprised and was in haste to return to the defense.
In the meantime, Martinelli provided an assist to Riccardo Calafiori. Guardiola became so angry that he was fuming in the touchline. After this incident, Michael Oliver refused to deny the goal. According to rules, this goal shouldn’t have stood because the referee called Kyle Walker and took him out of his position.
After the game, Pep Guardiola was asked about this incident; he said that his team completely respects how the Gunners played in this match; City’s job was to break the Arsenal defense. Guardiola believes that they did it perfectly, and he seemed to be happy with their performance.
Pep hailed Arsenal as one of the best teams in the world. After the game, Halaand made another controversy because he exchanged some words with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. It made things worse for the Gunners. City players believed that Arsenal got points because they applied some inappropriate strategies.
Star performers for Arsenal
These types of controversial decisions take place in almost every English Premier League match. So, they are part of football. Managers are also habituated to these things. Although these types of incidents can affect the results, the Premier League fans are habituated to these bizarre things.
In the mean time, the Gunners scored again. Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes scored a header from the corner. After this goal, Pep Guardiola became furious at his players, and we saw a change in their game. The Cityzens were taking multiple attempts on Arsenal’s goal. From Kyle Walker’s long-range effort to Gvardiol’s side-volley, everything was fired towards their opponent.
On the other hand, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was busy saving the Gunners from Manchester City’s attacking wave. So, he was the best player from Mikel Arteta’s side. Pep Guardiola also appreciated the Spaniard and hailed him as ‘one of the best in the world.’
At the end, Arsenal were able to pull off a single point against Manchester City, where they were down to ten men. In the first half, Michael Oliver showed a red card to Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard. This decision changed the game, or else the scoreline might have been different.
For more sports updates, make sure to follow us on:
