New Delhi: Everyone expected an intense fight between the Premier League title contenders, Arsenal and Manchester City. A 2-2 draw was of little surprise, though the Gunners dominated most of the game. The rivalry has received a lot of press attention, as both sides commented on each other after the game.
The clash saw quite a few heated exchanges, including City’s star Erling Haaland throwing the ball at the head of Arsenal’s defender Gabriel. Experts were of the opinion that Haaland should have faced sanctions for his on pitch conduct. After the game, both John Stones and Kyle Walker blamed the Gunners for using “dark arts” in order to maintain their 2-1 halftime lead.
Gabriel responded to the on-field exchange as “war” and that it was okay to have such provocative incidents on the field. The comments didn’t go well with Manchester City’s boss, Pep Guardiola, who has said that he had been annoyed by this feud and that his side would treat the upcoming fixtures as a “war.”
Mikel Arteta’s take
Arsenal’s boss, Mikel Arteta, was asked for his reaction to the “dark arts” accusation. Instead of giving a direct answer, Arteta mentioned his tenure as assistant to Guardiola in City’s camp and had “information” about how Man City functions.
In response, Guardiola expressed his confusion over Arteta’s statement. The City boss felt that his opposite number at Gunner’s could be referring to the 155 charges that are being investigated against the City club. Guardiola felt that Arteta should be clear with his accusations and remarks.
🔴⚪️ Arteta when asked about the rivalry with Man City and Pep Guardiola: “I prefer this reaction much more than someone clapping my back after the game and saying: Well done, you guys are in the right direction”.
“This is why I do what I do”. pic.twitter.com/3bzukD13O0
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 28, 2024
Not wanting to add more fuel to the fire, Arteta played down the ongoing spat and instead chose to show his admiration for Guardiola and his club. Further, the 42-year-old manager mentioned that everything should be left behind on the pitch and that their relationship shouldn’t be based on the results of their clashes.
It is obvious that they are the two sides that have become the biggest rivals in the Premier League over the last two seasons. In the 202-23 season, Arsenal had given Manchester City a good run for their money and were eight points ahead of City. Then, they lost four matches in a row and finished second, just five points behind City. The difference last season was even less, as they finished second to City with just two points difference.
The last game showed the rivalry was putting the two teams on the edge. It is clear that when Arsenal play Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in February, it will be an equally intense game.
Both Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have given their take on their rivalry that has intensified over the last weekend. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
