ANDCity of Manchester was able to tie (2-2) the rivalry against Arsenal in the last play of the game with a goal from Stones after playing the entire second half with another player due to the controversial sending off of Trossard with the addition of the first act.
Mikel Arteta’s men, who came out from the first moment with a more defensive style of play than usual, limited themselves to defending the 1-2 scoreline throughout the second half. In dismissing the Belgians they trusted everything in defense and were seconds away from it, thanks to their Numantina defense and an excellent David Raya.
However, what for many is a brutal survival exercise against the best team in the world, for others is “dark arts.” Among them are City players and even Pep, who is very critical of the Gunner’s style.
John Stones, scorer of the equalizing goal, attacked mercilessly: “I don’t know if they master the dark arts, but we know that’s what we can count on. You can call it smart style or dirty style, however you want to say it. Disturbed they the game and it changes the rhythm.” Some statements supported by the Santpedor coach although not so blatantly: “I don’t know how many of his players suffered from cramps.”
Bernardo Silva, one of the ‘hottest’ finishers in the fight and involved in the final fight, did not cut his hair. “There was only one team that came to play football… The other one came to play on the limit and the referee (Michael Oliver) unfortunately allowed it… We are not happy because we want the three points, but I’m happy. The way we play, I’m happy that we always go on the field to try to win every game,” he declared.
The Portuguese did not stop there, but compared Arsenal to Liverpool, clarifying which team is his real rival: “Liverpool has won a Champions League, Arsenal has not. Liverpool is always facing us to try to win in games, so from this point of view the games against Arsenal are not the same as our games against Liverpool.”
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
