Mikel Arteta has rejected the accusation from Manchester City that Arsenal employed “dark arts” in the 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, saying the truth about his players’ condition would be revealed by his team sheet for the Carabao Cup third-round tie at home against Bolton on Wednesday.
City were furious at how a succession of Arsenal players went to ground and called for treatment during the second half as they tried to preserve a 2-1 lead with 10 men, following the dismissal of Leandro Trossard in first-half stoppage-time.
David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Martinelli and Jurriën Timber were accused of deliberately breaking up the game, with City’s John Stones, Bernardo Silva and Manuel Akanji strongly critical of Arsenal’s approach. Stones, who scored a last‑gasp equaliser, said Arsenal had used “the dark arts” for a few years.
All of which left Arteta, who worked as a coach at City before his appointment as Arsenal manager in December 2019, to deliver a cryptic response. “I have been there before, I was there for four years,” he said. “I have all the information. So I know. Believe me.” Arteta appeared to be suggesting that City tend to react badly after games they do not win.
Raya left the Etihad Stadium with bandages to protect a thigh problem while Calafiori, the summer signing from Bologna, had not previously started a game for Arsenal. Timber, meanwhile, missed virtually all of last season with an anterior cruciate ligament rupture. Martinelli has also had fitness problems. All four are doubts for Bolton’s visit, though it is unclear whether Arteta would have picked them in the Carabao Cup anyway.
“I always prefer the facts to words or supposing things,” Arteta said. “Let’s see who is available tomorrow and then we can talk about dark arts or these things or if it’s a reality. Other things will be factors and that’s it. We will use the facts. What are the other factors? Well, if a player is faking something that means he will carry on and be involved in the squad and play. Unfortunately, there will be a few players not available.”
Arteta was asked whether his team had sustained any serious injuries at City. “We have to wait on one of them,” he replied.
If Raya does not play, Arteta would most likely turn to his fourth-choice goalkeeper Jack Porter, who is 16. The second-choice, Neto, is cup‑tied, having played for Bournemouth in round two while the third-choice, Tommy Setford, is injured.
Arteta is also without the injured Martin Ødegaard, Mikel Merino, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney, while Ben White is a doubt. Trossard is suspended. Arteta said Ødegaard, who has an ankle problem, would be out for “a matter of weeks … how long exactly I cannot tell you – we might get a surprise [before the October international break] but it’s unlikely”.
Arteta said Arsenal’s rearguard action in the second half against City was born out of necessity and he was clearly frustrated that the excellence of it was largely ignored as the focus fell on their time-wasting. On the subject of alleged cheating, it has been lost on nobody at Arsenal that City are defending themselves against 115 charges from the Premier League of wrongdoing. City deny all charges.
Arteta added that Arsenal had “learned from the past” in terms of playing City with 10 men, which they did twice in 2021-22. In the first meeting that season they had Granit Xhaka sent off at 2-0 down after 35 minutes en route to a 5-0 away defeat. In the second, they lost Gabriel Magalhães at 1-1 in the 59th minute; they would concede in stoppage time for a 2-1 reverse.
“We’d better learn … if not I would be thick, very thick,” Arteta said as he reflected more generally on how he had worked to instil a relish for the fight in his players. “We had to play the game that we had to play [on Sunday]. The first 10, 15 minutes … we couldn’t with 11 v 11. Then we got much better. Then we were thrown in a very different context [after the Trossard red card] and did what every team does. All managers want a team that is happy and able to compete in any context thrown at you.”
Arteta wanted to highlight how City had played when they were reduced briefly to 10 men as they waited to introduce Mateo Kovacic for the injured Rodri midway through the first half. Ilkay Gündogan fouled Thomas Partey and Silva shielded the ball away from Trossard so Arsenal could not take a quick free-kick.
“They played 30 seconds with 10 men,” Arteta said. “Look what they did for 30 seconds. It’s normal what they did. We had to do it in a different way.”
Arteta has had time to think about Trossard’s sending-off and he hinted at his continued unhappiness over the decision. It was the second time this season that an Arsenal player has been given a second yellow card for kicking the ball away – after Declan Rice in the 1-1 home draw against Brighton.
“For passing it, you mean?” Arteta said. Had he reminded his players not to do that? “Yeah, I think so,” he replied. “Don’t touch the ball. We will play without the ball.”
