- Man City players condemned Arsenal’s ‘dark arts’ following Sunday’s 2-2 draw
- Arsenal played with 10 men for the entire second-half and came close to winning
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Manchester City‘s enthralling 2-2 draw with Arsenal did not lack in needle too as the rivalry between the Premier League‘s leading sides became spicier than ever before on Sunday.
Arsenal’s rearguard effort of playing with 10 men for the entire second half, after Leandro Trossard‘s red card just before half-time, nearly paid off until John Stones‘ stoppage-time equaliser earned City a point.
The ensuing aftermath saw tensions boil over between both sets of players and staff with City expressing their frustration at Arsenal’s disruption tactics – with Bernardo Silva particular scathing of Mikel Arteta’s side.
And in the latest edition of It’s All Kicking Off!, IAN LADYMAN and CHRIS SUTTON reflect on the Etihad encounter and in particular, the Gunners’ use of the ‘dark arts’.
Listen to It’s All Kicking Off! here:
Ladyman is quick to point out that in his belief when it was 11 vs 11 that Arsenal were the better team labelling their football as ‘terrific’.
While Sutton isn’t in full agreement with Ladyman, he does commend Arsenal’s ‘very clever’ use of disrupting City’s defensive setup when they had attacking corners.