We Learned from the Past – Arteta Defends Arsenal’s Tactics After Manchester City Draw

Mikel Arteta has hit back at accusations that Arsenal resorted to "dark arts" in their 2-2 draw with Manchester City, defending his side’s approach after going down to 10 men. The Gunners played the entire second half a man down following Leandro Trossard’s red card. Still, Arteta insisted they had to adapt to the circumstances, saying they would have been “thick” not to learn from past experiences.

The match, which saw Arsenal take a point from a thrilling encounter at the Etihad Stadium, became a hot topic after Manchester City players suggested the Gunners used tactical gamesmanship to break up their rhythm, particularly after Trossard’s dismissal. Arsenal were leading 2-1 at the time and had to dig in, defending deep in hopes of holding onto their advantage.

When asked about the accusations of "dark arts," Arteta didn’t shy away, stating: “We had to play the game we were presented with. For the first 10-15 minutes, we couldn’t cope with 11 against 11, but then we got better. But after the red card, we were in a very different context. Every team does what they need to do in these situations.”

He further justified his side’s actions by pointing to an early moment in the game when Manchester City midfielder Rodri was injured, leaving City temporarily down to 10 men. “They played 30 seconds with 10 men, and look what they did. It’s normal,” Arteta added.

This wasn’t the first time Arsenal have found themselves with a man sent off against Manchester City. This was the third recent red card for the Gunners in games against Pep Guardiola's side. Gabriel was shown a red card in January 2022, and Granit Xhaka was sent off in August 2021, both incidents leading to Arsenal defeats.

“We’ve learned from the past because, unfortunately, we’ve been in that situation with them three times recently,” Arteta explained. “One was with Granit after 38 minutes, and we conceded heavily. So we better learn from those experiences, otherwise, we’d be very thick.”

Looking ahead, Arsenal face Bolton in the League Cup on Wednesday, but Arteta hinted that some of his key players may miss out due to injuries picked up in the hard-fought clash against City. “Let’s see who is available tomorrow, and then we can talk about dark arts,” he said. “Unfortunately, there will be a few players not available. If someone is pretending, they’ll still be playing tomorrow, and you’ll find out who’s injured.”

Arteta also downplayed a post-match altercation with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. After the final whistle, Haaland appeared to say, “Stay humble,” to the Arsenal boss, which sparked a reaction from Gabriel Jesus. Arteta, however, brushed off the incident, saying, “It was an emotional game, but they all are. I take it like a normal game. We’ve already moved on, and we’re ready to battle again.”

As Arsenal prepare for their next challenge, Arteta’s response to the "dark arts" accusations shows a manager focused on learning from past mistakes and doing whatever it takes to get the best result for his team.

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