Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal amid accusations that they used ‘dark arts’ to grind out a point in Sunday’s box office clash against Manchester City.
The Gunners were denied victory at the last when John Stones prodded home a dramatic equaliser that kept City at the top of the Premier League and two points clear of the side who are considered their main rivals for the Premier League title.
Arsenal were forced to park the bust for the entirety of the second period following the dismissal of Leandro Trossard on the stroke of half time.
Many felt Arteta’s side got their just desserts when they conceded with virtually the last kick of the game having put everyone behind the ball for 45 minutes and seemingly instructed their players to waste time.
Speaking passionately ahead of Wednesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Bolton, Arteta launched a vehement defence of his side’s approach and cited a 5-0 defeat against City two years ago as a factor that motivated Arsenal’s safety first gameplan.
‘We had to play the game that we had to play,’ he said. ‘In the first 10 or 15 minutes we couldn’t. 11 against 11, then we got much better and obviously were thrown into a very different context. Every team does.
‘They played 30 seconds with 10 men. Look at what they did, it’s normal what they did for 30 seconds. We had to do it in a different way.
‘We learned from the past as well because unfortunately we’ve been in that situation three times. One was with Granit after 37, 38 minutes and we conceded how many?’ We lost 5-0. We’d better learn. If not I would be very thick.’
Arsenal’s performance drew comparisons with the tactical approach, Arsene Wenger’s nemesis, Jose Mourinho used to employ with great success in big games between Chelsea and their north London rivals.
Mourinho was often accused of employing ‘anti-football’ but Arteta conceded he has been partially influence by a manager who ultimately broke Arsenal and Manchester United’s Premier League duopoly.
‘You learn a lot from all the top coaches and you try to understand why they’ve been successful and what really touches that team that makes it special and consistent, especially at this level, and the amount of games we play,’ said Arteta.
‘You might have an idea of where the game will go, but if it goes in a different direction, do you have the ability to adapt and be happy to play that game. Because that is the level we are in.’
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