Morning all.
I’ve to say I’m most amused by the deal with Arsenal and the ‘darkish arts’ after the sport on Sunday. We’ve had a procession of Man Metropolis gamers come out to complain about it or, no less than, reference it.
Manuel Akanji requested if Arsenal had mastered the ‘darkish arts’: “Sure, I don’t assume there are numerous higher than them at it.”
John Stones in his post-game interview: “You may name it intelligent or soiled, whichever method you wish to put it, they break up the sport and it upsets the rhythm for everybody. They use it for his or her benefit.”
Bernardo Silva: “There was just one group that got here to play soccer. The opposite got here to play to the boundaries of what was potential to do and allowed by the referee, sadly.
“The referee allowed a sequence of time-wasting occasions. The factor that bothers me probably the most is having numerous conferences with the FA in the beginning of every season. They inform us they are going to management this sort of state of affairs and can cease them, however in the long run it doesn’t have any value. They are saying rather a lot however nothing occurs.”
Nothing occurs?! We actually had a participant despatched off for it! It additionally overlooks the truth that regardless of Metropolis going forward, we performed sufficient soccer to be 2-1 up on the break, and that second half promised rather a lot from us earlier than the Trossard crimson card compelled a change in ways. Nothing occurs. Get outta right here.
What’s fairly amusing about all that is the truth that Man Metropolis, and each Pep Guardiola group ever, has had a cynical streak a mile lengthy. Even when he had gamers as sensible as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta at his disposal, they weren’t averse the sort of nonsense you’d see from Sergio Busquets regularly. A superb participant too, by the way in which, however somebody who would dive, roll round, make fouls and disrupt the opposition’s rhythm at each alternative. Even at 11 v 11, not to mention enjoying a complete half half a person down.
And who do you assume instructed him to do this? A person sitting not far-off from Mikel Arteta on Sunday. A chair kicker extraordinaire. A person whose spittle was so white he may as properly have been Riquelme dealing with Jens Lehmann. Right here’s a pic I’ve shared earlier than, it’s our supervisor whereas he was a coach at Man Metropolis – beneath Pep, to be 100% clear, and working beneath his instruction – giving some pre-game directions to a few of their gamers:
I believe I noticed a quote from Guardiola afterwards the place he mainly stated he would have executed the identical as we did within the context of the sport. So, it makes it extra humorous that Metropolis’s gamers are complaining about one thing their very own supervisor would do if he needed to. Which is – to be clear – no matter it takes to get a end in a recreation of soccer. Arsenal didn’t invent these things, it goes on in each recreation at each stage each weekend of the yr, nevertheless it’s humorous the way it’s within the highlight due to our efficiency towards Man Metropolis.
Slightly than be aggravated by this sort of stuff, we needs to be amused by it. We needs to be inspired by it, as a result of the way in which Sunday went and Metropolis’s response to it, tells you that we aren’t a group they take frivolously anymore. Erling Haaland shedding the plot and telling Mikel Arteta to ‘keep humble’ may irk some folks, nevertheless it simply makes me giggle. I assumed the way in which the supervisor did a double-take as if he didn’t fairly hear him, earlier than simply strolling off was hilarious and completely dismissive.
The Man Metropolis Twitter account clipping up a video of Haaland committing a few rugby tackles on Saliba and Partey (each of which have been extra deserving of a yellow than something Trossard did) tells you loads about how this recreation went for them. He scored a terrific objective the opposite day, however they highlighted the actual fact he’s a 6’5 battering ram, as if it confirmed how we’d been pushed round. Everyone knows we weren’t, as a result of it is a group you possibly can’t do this to anymore. Haaland, an excellent goalscorer, beefing with a 17 yr outdated who had simply made his debut, spoke volumes to me.
I beloved Gabriel’s response to a query about Haaland throwing the ball in the back of his head:
I don’t even bear in mind this. It’s regular, they have been blissful after scoring within the final minute. It’s a battle, a conflict and provocation is regular in soccer. Now it’s over and we’ll be ready for them at our home.
Observe the distinction in perspective there. As Metropolis’s gamers lined as much as bitch and moan, their sense of entitlement pricked in a giant method, Gabriel simply shrugged all of it off. Having been a part of a defensive effort that nearly gained us three factors, and been on the top of the ball factor, he most likely had extra trigger to be bitter in his post-match interview than any of them, and he simply stated ‘Yeah no matter. We’ll see you subsequent time.’
And we’ll. I really like that. Anyway, sufficient of them. They’ve their very own issues to take care of now, and we have now to look ahead and get on with the remainder of what this week brings. There’s a Carabao Cup recreation tomorrow (Arteta will meet the press later at this time, in order that could possibly be fascinating), and the group choice will likely be fascinating. We’ll have extra on that tomorrow, and press convention updates over on Arseblog Information.
Within the meantime, if you need one thing to take heed to, we put out three podcasts yesterday.
1 – Arsecast Additional masking the sport towards Metropolis.2 – Arsenal Ladies Arsecast, a brand new format for this present discussing the 2-2 with Man Metropolis on Sunday.3 – The 30 over on Patreon – discussing all of the weekend’s Premier League motion.
Hopefully that’s sufficient to maintain you going for some time anyway. Proper, I’ll go away it there for now, have a very good one.
