Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta has defended his techniques and crew’s efficiency in opposition to Manchester Metropolis on Sunday. The Gunners have been compelled to complete the match down a person after Leandro Trossard was controversially despatched off simply earlier than halftime. Arsenal was main the reigning Premier League champions on the time of the purple card.
Metropolis, fairly predictably, dominated the second half with the benefit. Arteta’s crew, then again, opted to sit down again and defend the lead for all the half. The title holders racked up over 80% possession and had 24 complete photographs within the latter interval. Regardless of this, the Gunners nonetheless managed to carry on for a draw. Metropolis defender John Stones ultimately scored the tying objective deep into added time. The reigning champions recorded an xG of simply 1.04 throughout this domination.
Time-wasting criticism debunked by statistical evaluation
After the huge match, Metropolis gamers, rival followers, and even some pundits complained that Arsenal employed “darkish arts” to nab a draw on the day. These not glad with Arsenal’s play criticized the time-wasting techniques of Arteta’s crew.
Nonetheless, statistics confirmed that the ball was really in play for the fifth-longest of any Premier League sport to this point this season. Regardless of this, match officers opted to select an unbelievable 17 complete added minutes between the primary and second halves.
Arteta addressed the problem on Tuesday. The repeatedly scheduled press convention comes because the Gunners are set to host Bolton within the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. “I all the time favor the information to phrases or supposing issues,” claimed the coach. “Let’s see who is on the market tomorrow after which we are able to speak about ‘darkish arts’ or these items or if it’s a actuality. Sadly, sure there might be a couple of gamers not obtainable.”
The Arsenal boss made three second-half substitutions within the match in opposition to Metropolis. At the very least two of those alterations concerned injured gamers. Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber each appeared to undergo setbacks late within the sport.
Arteta undeniably wouldn’t have needed to take away the star duo from match in the event that they weren’t injured. Of their place, the supervisor introduced on Jakub Kiwior and 17-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly. Neither of those gamers had performed a minute of motion through the 2024/25 earlier than Sunday.
Arteta proper to shift Arsenal techniques in difficult Metropolis scenario
Critics most popular Arsenal to not change their techniques whereas down a participant in opposition to arguably the most effective crew on the earth in Metropolis. Some stated Arteta’s crew was “naive” for its efficiency in an identical scenario three years in the past. Former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka picked up a purple card within the first half in opposition to Metropolis again in 2021. The Gunners have been ultimately thumped 5-0 on the day and Arteta confronted criticism for the heavy defeat.
Tottenham Hotspur supervisor Ange Postecoglou additionally discovered himself in an identical scenario simply final yr. The guy North London aspect picked up two purple playing cards, and it performed nearly all the second half with 9 gamers throughout a sport in opposition to Chelsea final November. As a substitute of dropping again to carry on to a draw, Postecoglou deployed a ridiculously excessive line close to the center of the pitch. The Blues minimize by the road like a sizzling knife in butter and scored three extra objectives within the sport.
Arteta discovered from earlier errors and took the proper method on Sunday. Arsenal at present has the most effective defenses in all of Europe in the meanwhile. The Spanish supervisor performed to this power and utilized a defensive technique to keep away from a defeat. Whereas they solely managed a draw, the scoreline may have been a lot worse for the membership in the event that they performed into Metropolis’s arms.
Arsenal has shaken off earlier ‘comfortable’ label
Complaints of Arsenal utilizing “darkish arts” additionally come because the membership confronted criticism as being “comfortable.” In earlier years, pundits accused the Gunners of not being robust sufficient to win the Premier League. Nonetheless, this has clearly now modified.
Following the draw on Sunday, Arteta’s crew now finds themselves solely two factors behind Metropolis within the standings. That is though Arsenal has already performed three robust highway matches of their first 5 Premier League video games.
Not solely this, however the Gunners have additionally performed roughly 20% of their top-flight video games with simply 10 gamers on the pitch. Regardless of all of this, Arsenal stay undefeated within the league.
PHOTOS: IMAGO.
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