Soccer

Arteta hails defiance of battling 10-man Arsenal

Gunners’ boss critical of referee but proud of backs-to-the-wall second-half effort despite John Stones’ late equaliser for City

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard, second left, is shown a red card by referee Michael Oliver during the Premier League clash against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Arsenal's Leandro Trossard, second left, is shown a red card by referee Michael Oliver during the Premier League clash against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA Wire
Jamie Jackson at the Etihad Stadium
Sun Sept 22 2024 - 21:02

Mikel Arteta was scathing about Michael Oliver’s lack of consistency after the referee sent off Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard for a second yellow card offence of kicking the ball away despite failing to book Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku for a similar incident in Sunday’s incident-filled 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

Trossard had already received a yellow when, after fouling Bernardo Silva near halfway, the Belgian showed dissent by kicking the ball. This occurred just before Oliver blew for the break meaning they had to defend their 2-1 with 10 men for the entire the second half.

The visitors nearly did so, only being breached by John Stones’s 99th-minute strike that cancelled out Gabriel’s header. Erling Haaland had opened the scoring before Riccardo Calafiori equalised for the Gunners.

Arteta was asked about Trossard’s second booking and Doku not being punished for the same rule-break.

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“I prefer not to comment – I’ve seen it and it’s obvious,” the Arsenal manager said. “It’s not necessary to comment. If it’s like that [today’s inconsistency] I’m expecting 100 games to be 10-v-11 this season – that’s it.

“Obviously, it is already a miracle we played 56 minutes at the Etihad with 10 men. It is unbelievable what we have done. It is obvious what happened when they made that decision, but it doesn’t deserve my comment. I don’t want to ruin anything else off the pitch.

“We adapted in the best possible way, the way we compete – I’m so proud of them. It couldn’t be a more difficult situation and the way we handled it.”

Trossard is the second Arsenal player to be sent off in this manner following Declan Rice in August’s 1-1 draw with Brighton. After Stones’s goal, Haaland rebounded the ball off the back of Gabriel’s head, which is a yellow card offence, at minimum. Arteta was asked about this.

“I think it was emotions and that’s it,” he said.

Before and after Trossard’s red card, Arsenal slowed the game down and deployed blocking tactics at corners.

Stones said: “I don’t know if they [Arsenal] have mastered it [the dark arts], they’ve done it for a few years, and we know to expect that. You can call it clever, or dirty, whichever way you want to put it.

“They break up the game, and obviously it upsets the rhythm for everyone. They use it for their advantage, and I thought we dealt with it really well.

“It’s not easy when those things are happening, and you’re trying to gain momentum, you’re trying to get a foot in the game and get above them. Those little stoppages stop that, and I thought we dealt with it really.”

Guardiola criticised Kyle Walker for failing to mark Gabriel when the latter scored. “He has to [do better] and didn’t,” said the manager.

Rodri was forced off with what appeared to be a knee problem.

“I don’t know [how serious] – I didn’t ask the doctors,” Guardiola said.

Despite dropping their first points of the season, City remain the league leaders after five games with 13, two ahead of Arsenal. – Guardian