Manchester City star Bernardo Silva had plenty to say about Arsenal after Sunday’s 2-2 draw between the two sides.
It ended all square between Manchester City and Arsenal after a dramatic encounter at the Etihad Stadium.
The Gunners had to cope with being outnumbered for the entire second half of the match, with Leandro Trossard having been sent off on the stroke of half-time.
As they were a man down, Mikel Arteta’s side came under continual pressure throughout the second half. However, they were able to hold out and protect their slender lead, right up until John Stones’ 98th minute equaliser.
Whilst it ultimately ended in somewhat heartbreaking fashion for the visitors, Arsenal were hailed by Micah Richards for their defensive efforts.
The Gunners certainly used every trick in the book to keep the Cityzens at bay for as long as they did. They packed men behind the ball, limited space for the opposition, looked to slow down the pace of the match and break up play at every opportunity.
Stones called out Arsenal’s tactics after the match, even referring to the Gunners’ approach as “dirty.”
Man City ace Bernardo Silva launches into Arsenal rant
Stones was not the only Manchester City star to take issue with how Arsenal played the game on Sunday.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the final whistle, Bernardo Silva also took aim at the Gunners.
The Portuguese midfielder said: “The difference? I don’t know. Maybe that Liverpool have already won a Premier League, Arsenal haven’t. That Liverpool have won a Champions League, Arsenal haven’t.
“Liverpool always faced us face to face to try to win the games, so by this perspective the games against Arsenal haven’t been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool. So yes, maybe a different rivalry.”
Before Arsenal became Manchester City’s main title rivals, Liverpool were the club able to go toe-to-toe with them, and did succeed in beating them to a Premier League crown in 2020.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal must brush off criticism
Prior to this match, Bukayo Saka claimed not to care about how Arsenal’s tactics were perceived, and insisted that the Gunners would play to win against Manchester City. It is worth remembering that they came within seconds of achieving exactly that.
Arsenal’s second half tactics on Sunday were defensive, but following Trossard’s dismissal such an approach was both sensible and necessary.
Whilst Arsenal still had eleven men on the pitch, Arteta’s side had mustered their fair share of attacks, and had crucially outscored the reigning Premier League champions.
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