Mikel Arteta claims he has “all the information” on how Manchester City employ the dark arts after his side were blasted for time wasting during their 2-2 draw on Sunday.
The Gunners tried to run down the clock from half-time after Leandro Trossard’s red card on the stroke of the interval reduced them to ten men. Erling Haaland’s opener was cancelled out by a stunning Riccardo Calafiori striker before Gabriel headed the visitors in front. A number of players went down and stayed down with cramp to try and eat up the second as City pressed for a leveller, with keeper David Raya in particular guilty.
But it came back to nite the North London side as John Stones scrambled home a last gasp equaliser to snatch a point for Pep Guardiola’s men. Arsenal’s ultra defensive approach, along with their apparent gamesmanship, has [put Arteta in the firing line since. But he’s now hit back, claiming that after working next to Guardiola at City, he knows better than most just how they do exactly the same thing when required.
“I have been (worked) there before,” he said. I was there for four years. I have all the information. So I know. Believe me. We had to play the game that we had to play. The first 10, 15 minutes, we couldn’t with 11 versus 11. Then we got much better. Then we were thrown in a very different context and did what every team does.
“They played 30 seconds with 10 men. Look what they did for 30 seconds. It’s normal what they did. We had to do it in a different way.”
In response to allegations his players were faking injury, Arteta said his team selection for tonight’s Carabao Cup clash with Bolton Wanderers will show who was really injured. He admitted that he was sweating on the fitness of one unnamed star, adding: “If a player is faking something that means he will carry on and be involved in the squad and play.