Arsenal didn’t invent the ‘dark arts’

Morning all.

I’ve to say I’m most amused by the give attention to Arsenal and the ‘darkish arts’ after the sport on Sunday. We’ve had a procession of Man Metropolis gamers come out to complain about it or, no less than, reference it.

Manuel Akanji requested if Arsenal had mastered the ‘darkish arts’: “Sure, I don’t suppose there are lots of higher than them at it.”

John Stones in his post-game interview: “You possibly can name it intelligent or soiled, whichever approach you wish to put it, they break up the sport and it upsets the rhythm for everybody. They use it for his or her benefit.”

Bernardo Silva: “There was just one staff that got here to play soccer. The opposite got here to play to the boundaries of what was potential to do and allowed by the referee, sadly.

“The referee allowed a sequence of time-wasting occasions. The factor that bothers me essentially the most is having loads of conferences with the FA at the start of every season. They inform us they’ll management this sort of state of affairs and can cease them, however ultimately it doesn’t have any value. They are saying quite a bit however nothing occurs.”

Nothing occurs?! We actually had a participant despatched off for it! It additionally overlooks the truth that regardless of Metropolis going forward, we performed sufficient soccer to be 2-1 up on the break, and that second half promised quite a bit from us earlier than the Trossard pink card compelled a change in techniques. Nothing occurs. Get outta right here.

What’s fairly amusing about all that is the truth that Man Metropolis, and each Pep Guardiola staff ever, has had a cynical streak a mile lengthy. Even when he had gamers as good as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta at his disposal, they weren’t averse the type of nonsense you’d see from Sergio Busquets frequently. An excellent participant too, by the best way, however somebody who would dive, roll round, make fouls and disrupt the opposition’s rhythm at each alternative. Even at 11 v 11, not to mention taking part in a whole half half a person down.

And who do you suppose informed him to try this? A person sitting not far-off from Mikel Arteta on Sunday. A chair kicker extraordinaire. A person whose spittle was so white he may as properly have been Riquelme going through Jens Lehmann. Right here’s a pic I’ve shared earlier than, it’s our supervisor whereas he was a coach at Man Metropolis – below Pep, to be 100% clear, and working below his instruction – giving some pre-game directions to a few of their gamers:

I believe I noticed a quote from Guardiola afterwards the place he principally mentioned he would have finished the identical as we did within the context of the sport. So, it makes it extra humorous that Metropolis’s gamers are complaining about one thing their very own supervisor would do if he needed to. Which is – to be clear – no matter it takes to get a lead to a sport of soccer. Arsenal didn’t invent these items, it goes on in each sport at each degree each weekend of the yr, however it’s humorous the way it’s within the highlight due to our efficiency in opposition to Man Metropolis.

Somewhat than be irritated by this sort of stuff, we must be amused by it. We must be inspired by it, as a result of the best way Sunday went and Metropolis’s response to it, tells you that we aren’t a staff they take evenly anymore. Erling Haaland shedding the plot and telling Mikel Arteta to ‘stay humble’ may irk some individuals, however it simply makes me snigger. I assumed the best way the supervisor did a double-take as if he didn’t fairly hear him, earlier than simply strolling off was hilarious and completely dismissive.

The Man Metropolis Twitter account clipping up a video of Haaland committing a few rugby tackles on Saliba and Partey (each of which had been extra deserving of a yellow than something Trossard did) tells you loads about how this sport went for them. He scored an awesome purpose the opposite day, however they highlighted the very fact he’s a 6’5 battering ram, as if it confirmed how we’d been pushed round. Everyone knows we weren’t, as a result of it is a staff you may’t try this to anymore. Haaland, a superb goalscorer, beefing with a 17 yr previous who had simply made his debut, spoke volumes to me.

I liked Gabriel’s response to a query about Haaland throwing the ball in the back of his head:

I don’t even bear in mind this. It’s regular, they had been blissful after scoring within the final minute. It’s a battle, a conflict and provocation is regular in soccer. Now it’s over and we’ll be ready for them at our home.

Be aware the distinction in angle there. As Metropolis’s gamers lined as much as bitch and moan, their sense of entitlement pricked in a giant approach, Gabriel simply shrugged all of it off. Having been a part of a defensive effort that just about received us three factors, and been on the top of the ball factor, he in all probability had extra trigger to be bitter in his post-match interview than any of them, and he simply mentioned ‘Yeah no matter. We’ll see you subsequent time.’

And we’ll. I like that. Anyway, sufficient of them. They’ve their very own issues to cope with now, and we’ve to look ahead and get on with the remainder of what this week brings. There’s a Carabao Cup sport tomorrow (Arteta will meet the press later at present, in order that could possibly be attention-grabbing), and the staff choice shall be fascinating. We’ll have extra on that tomorrow, and press convention updates over on Arseblog News.

Within the meantime, if you would like one thing to hearken to, we put out three podcasts yesterday.

1 – Arsecast Extra protecting the sport in opposition to Metropolis.
2 – Arsenal Women Arsecast, a brand new format for this present discussing the 2-2 with Man Metropolis on Sunday.
3 – The 30 over on Patreon – discussing all of the weekend’s Premier League motion.

Hopefully that’s sufficient to maintain you going for some time anyway. Proper, I’ll go away it there for now, have one.