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“There was only one team that came to play football,” complained Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva following a thrilling and eventful 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium. “The other team pushed the boundaries of what is permissible, as allowed by the referee, which is unfortunate.”
John Stones’ equalizer in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time thwarted Arsenal, who had to contend with playing a man down for the entire second half, from achieving what would have been a significant victory against Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions.
City's players are acutely aware of this dynamic.
This is reflected in Bernardo’s candid remarks about Arsenal post-match. Notably, Erling Haaland threw the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel during City’s exuberant celebrations following Stones’ late goal. Additionally, Pep Guardiola was visibly frustrated, kicking his seat in the dugout after Arsenal’s equalizer by Ricardo Calafiori, feeling it was unjust.
Arsenal has clearly gotten under City’s skin.
The anticipation builds for the rematch at the Emirates Stadium in early February.
“As a football match, it is a fantastic showcase for the Premier League,” remarked City captain Kyle Walker regarding the rivalry with Arsenal, who have finished as runners-up in the last two seasons. “Perhaps not in every aspect — but it’s part of the game, and we’ll refer to it as the dark arts.”
Stones noted Arsenal’s strategy of slowing the game down, which he interpreted as feigning injuries to give manager Mikel Arteta a chance to relay instructions to his players.
“I wouldn’t say they have mastered it but they have done it for a few years now so we knew to expect that,” Stones said. “You can call it clever or dirty, whichever way you want to put it, but they break up the game which upsets the rhythm.”
Arteta appears to have drawn inspiration from the strategies of former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho. Mourinho, a notable adversary of Guardiola, often took a more pragmatic approach to the game.
While Arteta’s Arsenal is capable of playing attractive football, the absence of captain Martin Odegaard due to injury and Leandro Trossard's red card against City forced the team to adapt their strategy significantly.
“It’s unbelievable what we have accomplished,” Arteta remarked, demonstrating his deep understanding of City and Guardiola, having previously served as Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad.
For Silva, matches against Liverpool—City's primary rival before Arsenal—were more thrilling experiences.
“Liverpool always confronted us directly in an effort to win,” the Portuguese midfielder noted, “so from that standpoint, the encounters with Arsenal have not been as intense as those with Liverpool. It’s perhaps a different kind of rivalry.”
Silva was among several City players who became agitated during a match that was charged from the outset. At one point, he gestured with his finger to indicate a “0” while facing Gabriel, seemingly alluding to Arsenal's lack of Premier League titles since Silva joined City in 2017, with Arsenal's last championship dating back to 2004.
Silva highlighted the distinctions between facing Liverpool and Arsenal by stating, “Perhaps it’s because Liverpool has already secured a Premier League title, while Arsenal has not. Additionally, Liverpool has claimed a Champions League title, whereas Arsenal has yet to achieve that.”
Could this be the year Arsenal finally clinches the league title?
Currently, Arsenal is positioned fourth in the standings, trailing the leaders, City, by two points. After a challenging week that included matches against Tottenham and City—two of their most difficult away fixtures—they managed to gather four points, alongside a goalless draw against Atalanta in the Champions League.
This could set the stage for another title race between City and Arsenal.