Mourinho repeat, 'serious' Arsenal threat - Man City handed clear response after Bernardo Silva rant
Arsenal had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Manchester City on Sunday in an early Premier League title race clash. Erling Haaland had opened the scoring after just nine minutes to notch his 100th goal for City but the Gunners turned the game on its head before half-time thanks to Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhaes.
However, an action-packed first-half ended with a red card to Leandro Trossard in the eighth minute of added time setting Mikel Arteta's Arsenal up for a second half of backs-against-the-wall defending. They almost held out and made an early-season statement but for John Stones' goal deep into injury time, preserving Pep Guardiola's side's unbeaten start to 2023/24.
The debate, meanwhile, is raging around Arsenal's tactics around the game with Bernardo Silva and Stones taking aim at their opponents' style of play and online discourse surrounding the merits of so-called 'gamesmanship'. Here, football.london's writers have their say...
Tom Coley
Arsenal didn't have much choice really. Down to 10 men and away to Manchester City, they had to play for what was already in their hands. Given that City only really took long shots from defenders for the best part of 50 minutes, the plan was justified.
Arteta's decision to leave nobody upfield is the thing that can be most heavily scrutinised. Kai Havertz played an important role in shutting down City's key men on the edge of the box, shepherding the ball to Ruben Dias at every opportunity, but he was the sort of outlet that Arsenal needed to take some of the pressure off.
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Even with David Raya taking his time over every cross, players making the most of contact and fatigue to play for injuries, the siege was relentless. Arsenal did what they had to but couldn't hold out, and that is not what should determine the success of their plan.
The process involved was spot on. The defining moment of the game - Stones' equaliser - came via a deflection and a scramble.
Arsenal played with the most compact 10 men perhaps there has ever been for such a sustained period of time. It didn't get the result that it perhaps deserved but it was needed.
Sam Truelove
It was a second half performance Jose Mourinho would have been proud of. The resolute and defiant Arsenal team, down to ten men at this stage, stood firm for more than 50 minutes before John Stones broke their hearts.
It's hard to play against Manchester City with 11 men, let alone 10, so I don't really blame Arsenal for slowing down play whenever possible - it's part of the game. Other teams, especially in other countries, have mastered these techniques over the years and I'm all here for it.
Man City supporters, players and staff will feel aggrieved with the use of these tactics but I'm sure they would have done similar if the shoe was on the other foot. Bernardo Silva has not always played by the rules himself so it's ironic he has had a dig at the Gunners.
Get on with it. There's 33 games of the Premier League season remaining.
Joe Doyle
The fact that Man City's stars have come out swinging tells you all you need to know: Arsenal are a serious threat to them now. They may be frustrated with Arsenal's so-called 'gamesmanship', but in reality they'll be absolutely furious at themselves for not having done more to eke out a win.
Arsenal were backed into a corner - and it was a problem all of their own making after Trossard got sent off. You can argue that Doku should have been booked earlier, but Trossard booting the ball away was just silly, especially after what happened with Declan Rice just a few weeks ago.
After that, it was a supremely organised display from the Gunners, allowing space for Ruben Dias and Manuel Akanji to shoot on the edge of the box, but closing down the more technically sound players. It showed discipline, ability and nous to get to the end of the game with only one more goal conceded, with the likes of David Raya excelling both in terms of his shot-stopping ability and his in-game management.
City can complain all they like, but just like anyone else, they're no strangers to doing their utmost to win - was Rodri really that hurt when Kai Havertz bumped into him in the first five seconds of the game? Or was he doing his best to try and get the opposition carded by the referee?
Richard Cusack
By hook or by crook, you have to get things done at the highest level in the Premier League. We've all been there at amateur level, drawing things out for a bit to try and give yourself and your team-mates a breather.
Arsenal are well within their rights to stretch the rules as much as they want and simply had to, being down to 10 men for an entire half, but some aspects do grate. As far as their defending goes, they showed superb resolve to even get a draw never mind take it to the 98th minute.
Focusing on the 'dark arts' supposedly at play is unfair, because Arsenal were brilliant at the back and showed why they are now a very real threat to City. City like to kill games by keeping hold of the ball and strangling their opponents with possession, there's no more merit in that than Arsenal's backs-against-the wall display.