Credit: Matt McNulty/Getty Images & TNT Sports.
You know that famous Leonardo Dicaprio meme? — The one where he points at the television after spotting something familiar? — Well, Arsenal fans would’ve experienced a moment like that on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners cemented their place in this season’s title race after holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
Had it not have been for a 99-minute equaliser from John Stones, Mikel Arteta’s men would have beaten City away for the first time since January 2015. But it wasn’t to be and the points were shared.
Arsenal mocked for defensive approach against Manchester City
Despite the magnitude of the result, especially since the away side played the whole second half with 10 men after Leandro Trossard was shown a red card, the post-match reaction has created a narrative which suggested the Gunners camped in their own half without even attempting to win the game.
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images.
Roy Keane leads criticism with ‘dinosaur’ comment
Arteta’s tactics, which saw him replace Bukayo Saka for Ben White at half-time at the Etihad, have come under fire with Roy Keane among the Spaniard’s biggest critics.
“If Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce, Steve Bruce or Neil Warnock set up a team like that [Arsenal at Manchester City] for the second half, they are ‘dinosaurs’,” Keane said on the ‘Stick to Football‘ podcast.
More Stories / Latest News
“When Arsenal do it, it’s called ‘brilliant’, it’s ‘concentration levels’.
Pep Guardiola guilty of same thing
However, while Arteta’s men receive criticism for shutting up shop and trying to contain the defending champions, they may feel a slight sense of satisfaction after Pep Guardiola was proven to have lined his team up the same way.
Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images.
Saturday afternoon’s early Premier League kick-off saw Newcastle…
Source link : https://www.caughtoffside.com/2024/09/28/arsenal-man-city-tactic/
Author : Leah Smith
Publish date : 2024-09-28 14:33:37
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.