Arsenal and Mikel Arteta have become known as masters of the ‘dark arts’ in the Premier League, but that title cannot be mentioned without Man City.
That’s according to talkSPORT’s resident Arsenal fans on our new Inside Gooners show, who insist Pep Guardiola’s side are the original lords of football’s dark side.
Those dark arts were on full display in the title rivals’ recent clash, with a number of frustrated City players calling out the Gunners for their tactical fouling and time-wasting in the 2-2 draw.
The irony will not have escaped many supporters – throughout their dominant run of winning six of the last seven league titles, Man City employed the same tactics themselves.
Even Arteta himself suggested that he learned football’s dark arts during his three years in Manchester as assistant manager to Guardiola.
Responding to John Stones and Bernardo Silva accusing his side of time-wasting during the recent draw, the Gunners boss countered: “I’ve been there [at City] before. I was there for four years. I have all the information, so I know.”
It appears Arsenal supporters are quickly growing tired of the recent narrative that the team are boring and committed to ruining the spectator experience.
In talkSPORT’s new Arsenal show, Inside Gooners – featuring Darren Bent – podcaster Clive Palmer questioned the recent talk surrounding the north London club.
He said: “We can play different ways, so if you want eight behind the ball we can do that, if you want to build up on the halfway line and keep people in their half we can do that.
“If you want a high press we can do that, we can mid block. We can do all parts of the game and that should be something that is a positive.
“But suddenly it’s used as something to maybe beat us with, because there seems to be a lane by which we must succeed and that lane is very narrow.
“Maybe do it the Arsene Wenger, nice, stylish way and maybe get beat away now and again, but really what we’re doing should be admired by more people.”
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Rival fans have accused Arsenal of sitting back too much, but when looking at the league matches with all 11 men on the pitch [no red cards] Arteta’s side average 56.25 per cent possession.
That’s not far off the 56.25 per cent and 59.8 per cent from the previous two seasons, when Arsenal were praised for displaying a spectacular style of play.
Not only are the Gunners a team that kept the most clean sheets last season with 18, they are a side that has created more big chances than their title rivals so far this campaign.
Arsenal, despite going down to ten men twice, sit fourth with 23 big chances created, while Man City trail in sixth with 19.
They are also without their club captain and creative spark Martin Odegaard due to injury, who also led the squad in assists last season with ten in the Premier League.
While Arsenal rank highly for restart times or delays during games so far this season, this comes from a small sample size of six matches, and it should be considered that both Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard have both been sent off, which requires a change of tactics and gameplay approach.
Fellow panellist and journalist Julien Laurens is of the belief that all the ‘top teams’ delve into the dark arts.
The French football reporter said: “I think a lot of the top teams do it when they have to, when they need to.
“I remember a Man City game away to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League where it was 0-0 and they had to hold on to the result.
“They played 11 men behind the ball and were staying on the floor for a long time.”
In April 2022 Man City travelled to the Metropolitano stadium with the job of protecting their 1-0 aggregate advantage. They started well but the second half was a tireless defensive ordeal.
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Guardiola’s team sat deep and only had two shots compared to Atletico’s 13 in the second-half. They also made 15 clearances in the later 45 minutes.
In the 88th minute Felipe slid into Phil Foden taking him off the pitch but he rolled back on forcing the referee to delay a restart.
It was a quick moment of play which erupted into a brawl as the Atletico players were angered by the time wasting. Stefan Savic was also sent off for grabbing unused substitute Jack Grealish’s hair.
Rodri also confirmed in 2019, a month before Arteta left the club to take the top job at Arsenal, that he learned the dark arts from Guardiola when discussing his transfer to Manchester.
He revealed: “I am learning new things, how to go, when to stay, when I have to do a tactical foul, when I have to jump. It’s good for me to learn these things.”
Watch the first episode of talkSPORT’s new Inside Gooners show on our YouTube channel
