A regular day of Barclays’ is all a football fan craves for. Man City rescued a dramatic last minute draw against 10-man Arsenal.
Erling Haaland gave the hosts an early lead. However, the Citizens dealt with a massive blow when Rodri had to be subbed off due to an ACL tear.
The Gunners’ seized the advantage of this situation, they equalised soon after new signing Riccardo Calafiori smashed home the leveller. A brilliant finish! It’s surely the goal of the season so far.
Manager Pep Guardiola kicked his chair in the dugout in frustration. Soon after, Mikel Arteta’s side took the lead after Gabriel smashed a header past a helpless Ederson.
It was poor from the Citizens as the Brazilian was left completely unmarked. The game was highly entertaining and end-to-end until Leandro Trossard was shown a controversial red card just before half time.
This one man advantage pushed Arsenal back into their territory as they deployed a 5-4-0 formation in the second half. The Gunners’ defended brilliantly putting their body on the line.
However, it was not enough as John Stones netted the equaliser in the last minute of the stoppage time taking Man City to the top of the league.
Arsenal accused of performing “dark arts” against Man City
The recent rivalry between Arsenal and Man City has taken a new height after this game.
Manchester City defenders Kyle Walker and John Stones accused Arsenal of using “dark arts” during their game. Bernardo Silva hit back at Mikel Arteta’s tactics, saying it’s “anti-football.”
Stones was quite frustrated after the game, speaking to the BBC, he took a dig at Arsenal’s time wasting tactics and “dirty play”. He says;
“I don’t know if they have mastered it, they’ve done it for a few years, and we know to expect that. You can call it clever, or dirty, whichever way you want to put it.”
“They break up the game, and obviously it upsets the rhythm for everyone. They use it for their advantage, and I thought we dealt with it really well.”
“It’s not easy when those things are happening, and you’re trying to gain momentum, you’re trying to get a foot in the game and get above them. Those little stoppages stop that, and I thought we dealt with it really well.”
Mikel Arteta had to resort to “park the bus” tactics against Man City to secure a point. He has been an assistant to Pep Guardiola in the past, but yesterday it looked like Jose Mourinho has been his mentor.
The Gunners’ boss praised his team’s efforts and called it a “miracle”.
Midfielder Bernardo Silva also took a dig at the Gunners’ mindset to win games. He admitted that the Gunners’ are not fearless like Liverpool. He says;
“Liverpool always faced us face-to-face to try to win the games, Arsenal haven’t been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool. So yes, maybe a different rivalry.”
Erling Haaland is a menace: His “s***housery” sparks controversy
Erling Haaland scored his 100th goal for Man City against the Gunners’. However, he has sparked a controversy because of his “s**thousery” antics on the pitch.
The City striker was involved in heated altercations with Arsenal defender Gabriel when City scored the equaliser. He celebrated by bouncing the ball off Gabriel’s head after City’s last-minute equalizer.
The Norwegian also ran straight like a bull and rammed into Thomas Partey when the Gunners’ took the kick-off in the final minutes.
He did not stop here, as soon as the final whistle was blown, he had a brief altercation with Mikel Arteta.
“Stay humble eh? Stay humble.” Haaland mocked Arteta, as he passed him.
This reaction angered Gabriel Jesus who tried to speak out for his manager. However, Haaland did not spare him from the “s**thousery” as well.
“What? What are you talking about? Get the f*** away, you f***ing clown!” shouted Haaland.
After a review from the FA and VAR, the City striker will not be punished for his antics.
However, Arsenal legend Ian Wright labelled Erling Haaland as a “coward” because of his antics. Ranting on his social media, he says;
“Throwing the ball at Gabi’s head when he’s not looking. When Gabi’s back’s turned to him. Real coward’s move. Gabi would look him in the eye, you know.”
“That’s what bothered me more than anything else. I thought you [Haaland] were bigger than that.”
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