Arsenal’s Manager Defends Team’s Tactics Amid Criticism
Mikel Arteta has responded to claims that his team employed underhanded tactics to secure a draw against Manchester City last weekend. The Arsenal manager insisted that several of his players are facing potential injury layoffs, which may have contributed to their approach during the game.
City players John Stones, Manuel Akanji, and Bernardo Silva were critical of Arsenal’s tactics, accusing them of time-wasting and using “dark arts” to defend their 2-1 lead with 10 men. However, Arteta pointed out that his team had to adapt to the situation after Leandro Trossard’s red card.
“I always prefer to focus on the facts rather than opinions or assumptions,” Arteta said. “Let’s see who’s available for our next game and then we can discuss tactics. Unfortunately, it’s likely that a few players will be unavailable due to injury.”
When asked about the severity of the injuries, Arteta replied, “We’ll have to wait and see about one of them.” He also dismissed the “dark arts” label, saying it’s just an opinion and that his team’s approach was necessary given the circumstances.
Arteta highlighted a period of time-wasting by City when they were briefly down to 10 men, suggesting that both teams did what they had to do to gain an advantage. He also referenced a past game where Arsenal was in a similar situation and lost 5-0, saying that his team had learned from that experience.
Finally, Arteta was asked about City striker Erling Haaland’s comment to “stay humble” after the game. Arteta brushed it off, saying it’s all part of the game and that they’ve moved on from the incident.
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