- Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has defended his side's tactics
- City players accused Arsenal of time-wasting
- Arteta referenced a moment in the first half
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has defended his side’s tactics in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City, saying they were forced to play defensively due to City’s numerical advantage.
The Gunners conceded a late equalizer at the Etihad Stadium after being reduced to 10 men following Leandro Trossard’s sending off.
City players accused Arsenal of time-wasting and using “dark arts” during the match, but Arteta insists his team had little choice but to play defensively.
“We had to play the game that we had to play,” Arteta said. “The first 15 minutes, we couldn’t. They [City] played 30 seconds with 10 men. Look what they did. It’s normal what they did.”
Arteta referenced a moment in the first half when City were also down to 10 men due to Rodri’s injury. “Unfortunately we’ve been in the same situation,” he said. “We were in that same situation with Granit [Xhaka] when we lost 5-0 [in 2021]. So we’d better learn. If not I would be very thick.”
The match saw several Arsenal players go down with cramps in the second half, leading to further accusations of time-wasting.
However, Arteta insists that the injuries were genuine and that several players would be unavailable for Arsenal’s upcoming EFL Cup tie against Bolton.
“I always prefer the facts to words, or supposing things,” Arteta said. “Let’s see who’s available tomorrow and then we can talk about dark arts or these things. Unfortunately, yes, there will be a few players not available.”
Regarding Trossard’s sending off, Arteta said that he needs to remind his players to avoid kicking the ball away following fouls. “For passing the ball [away] you mean? I think so… just leave the ball, don’t touch the ball. We play without the ball,” he added.
