Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has sent a cryptic warning to Manchester City as the ‘dark arts’ saga from Sunday’s showdown at Etihad Stadium rumbles on.
The Gunners were criticised by City players for how they played to secure a 2-2 draw.
Bernardo Silva, John Stones and Manuel Akanji all took aim at Arsenal for the tactics they used as Arteta’s side battled for a point despite only having 10 men in the second half.
Asked what he made of that criticism, Arteta said: “No comment. I have been there before. I was there for four years.”
Pressed to clarify what he meant by that, the Arsenal boss replied: “I have all the information. So I know. Believe me.”
I have been there before. I was there for four years ... I have all the information. So I know. Believe me.
Arteta worked at Manchester City for three and a half years after retiring from football back in 2016. The Spaniard was one of Pep Guardiola’s assistants before taking the Arsenal job in December 2019.
Arteta was part of the Amazon documentary that followed City during the 2017-18 season and in that, he was filmed giving a team talk where he suggested players should use tactical fouls.
“David (Silva), Kevin (de Bruyne), Gundo (Ilkay Gundogan), make fouls,” Arteta says in one scene. “If there is a transition, make a foul.”
Arteta appears unfazed by the criticism his side have received since Sunday, citing how Arsenal have collapsed at City in the past when down to 10 men.
Back at the start of the 2021-22 season, the Gunners lost 5-0 after having Granit Xhaka sent off in the first half. Arteta has admitted he would be “very thick” if he did not learn from such situations.
“Well, we had to play the game that we had to play,” he said. “The first 10, 15 minutes, we couldn’t with 11 vs 11. Then we got much better.
“Then we were thrown in a very different context and did what ever team does. They played 30 seconds with 10 men. Look what they did for 30 seconds. It’s normal what they did. We had to do it in a different way.
“We learnt from the past. Unfortunately we’ve been in the same situation a few times. We were in that same situation with Granit after 38 minutes and we lost 5-0. We’d better learn. If not I would be thick, very thick.”
