Previously, during the latter years of Arsene Wenger’s tenure, Arsenal were often accused of being too ‘nice’, they didn’t have a Patrick Vieira type in the middle anymore.
However, things have changed under Mikel Arteta, and Arsenal are now masters of the ‘dark arts’, as we saw at the Etihad.
In reaction to Leandro Trossard’s red card, Arteta’s side played without a striker and looked to kill almost any momentum that City could muster.
And for long periods, it worked.
David Raya was delaying the game and several Arsenal players went down with cramp, even if they did transpire to be genuine concerns.
Arsenal’s Premier League rivals have sent their concerns to the PGMOL
According to a report by the Mail Online, conversation about Arsenal’s gamesmanship was rife in the top flight last year, with coaching staff and analysts across the division openly discussing their ‘dark arts’.
The report referenced an incident with Myles Lewis-Skelly as the latest example against Man City on Sunday.
Referee, Michael Oliver shows a yellow card to Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Arsenal...
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
Lewis-Skelly made Premier League history in the game – the first player to ever receive a yellow card before making his debut in the competition.
Lewis-Skelly was booked for gesturing to Raya to slow the game down, to waste more time if you will.
Last season, Premier League clubs, who are becoming increasingly concerned about the broader issue, sent their concerns to the PGMOL.
Of course, Wenger wouldn’t be too pleased with Arsenal right now given he’s trying to stamp out time-wasting in his role as FIFA’s chief of global football development.
Mikel Arteta isn’t going to change in his pursuit of the title
In some ways Arsenal are just making up for lost time, they’ve been so inefficient at the ‘other’ side of the game for so many years.
That’s not to say that Man City were flawlessly behaving themselves on Sunday, a side who are also capable of bending the rules on the pitch.
Dermot Gallagher shared his view on Erling Haaland throwing the ball at Gabriel’s head after City scored their equaliser in the 2-2 draw, a big moment in the title race.
In the eyes of many, such big games should be fractious and fiercely competitive – it’s part of the spectacle.
But it remains to be seen how the PGMOL will react to concerns about Arsenal’s tactics, which are certainly serving them well.
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