Roy Keane has strongly criticised Arsenal’s ‘dinosaur’ tactics in the second-half of their dramatic 2-2 draw against Manchester City.
The Gunners deployed a highly defensive strategy following Leandro Trossard’s sending off just before half-time when they held a 2-1 lead.
Mikel Arteta’s side conceded in stoppage-time to hand City a precious point and have been criticised for defending en masse, as well as time-wasting throughout the second-half.
Manchester United legend Keane in particular was not a fan of their game plan and has likened their tactics to those of perceived football ‘dinosaurs’.
“How bad were Arsenal?” he asked on the Stick to Football podcast. “Oh my God. Can I tell you something?
“You know the way Arsenal set up on Sunday for the second-half… If Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce, Steve Bruce, Neil Warnock set a team up like that for the second-half, they’re ‘dinosaurs’.
“Arsenal set up, and I mean nothing wrong with defending, I’m on about them when they did get the ball, a couple of times they were just booting it out of play. But Arsenal do it, it’s like, ‘Oh, brilliant. Concentration levels…’
Arsenal legend Ian Wright asked: “What should they have done?”
And Keane replied: “I don’t mind defending but I’m saying when they did win the ball, when they won it back every now and again, try and look after it, try and get up the pitch.
“There were a couple of incidents where, I think it was [Ben] White, it just bounced and he just kicked it out of play. [Declan] Rice, a couple of them just kicked it up the pitch, this is Arsenal we’re talking about.
“I’m not talking about a Championship team that’s gone in the FA Cup where they’re hanging in there. Remember, they got a clean sheet there last year so they have got results there Wrighty, I’m on about when they’re…
“Nothing wrong with defending and going deep, no problem. But when they got it, you go, ‘Can you try and do something?’ They were just booting it up the pitch.”
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Keane also pointed out that it’s not the first time Arsenal have used such tactics with ten men this season as he looked back to their 1-1 draw at home to Brighton.
Rice was shown a second yellow card for delaying the restart and the Gunners defended in numbers to seal a point, with their mentality not one that Keane would attribute to a Premier League giant.
“Go back three or four weeks ago, Arsenal with ten or 15 minutes to go, please people, watch it, they’ve done the same against Brighton,” he said.
“The goalkeeper [David Raya] down [time-wasting]… Brighton at home, so this idea, ‘Oh they’ve gone to the great Man City,’ their mindset against Brighton at home was exactly the same, that’s my argument… that was for a draw.”
Keane added: “I’m not even bothered about one [player] up front, I’m on about when you’ve got it, still look after it. Even the extra man up front… Not the extra man but if you’re on about playing one up [front], don’t even worry about that.
“But when you do get it, try and get four, five, six passes, they were just booting it like a small team with a small mentality.”
Jamie Carragher joked: “Ooh, there’s your headline.”
Pep Guardiola’s side sit top of the Premier League with 13 points and two ahead of Arsenal in fourth, with both sides still unbeaten.
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