Arsenal left the Etihad with a hard-fought point, despite being reduced to 10 men just before half-time. However, despite their resolute, backs-to-the-wall performance, there was an underlying sense of disappointment, as they came so close to securing their first away win against Manchester City since 2015.
Here’s what the managers, players, pundits and stattos made of this afternoon’s 2-2 draw…
Mikel Arteta on his side’s performance…
We had a very difficult start. In the first 10-15 minutes we were struggling in two occasions to control certain spaces and we didn’t have enough ability to get out of the first 25-30 metres of the pitch, which meant that we never controlled the game. After that, we started to understand better what we had to do. We’re much more efficient. We’re back on the game, winning it and we had the best moment. Obviously, we were thrown to a context of the game that makes it almost impossible for 56 minutes. But anyway, we adapted to that context in the best possible way and the way the team competes is just unbelievable. I’m so proud of them. You cannot be thrown a more difficult situation against that kind of opponent and the way we deal with it, the way we handle the situation is unbelievable. I’m so proud of them.
Source: Post-game press conference
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Pep Guardiola on Arsenal’s rearguard action
A big compliment to Arsenal as they defended every ball until the end. We created chances, maybe not clear. They have Calafiori, Saliba, Gabriel, Partey and Rice -you know the commitment was so difficult. We did really well. They wanted to stop the game. We were patient enough. At the end we were fortunate and we tried to win in the second half.
Source: BBC Match of the Day
Man City (2.41) 2-2 (1.02) Arsenal
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) September 22, 2024
Riccardo Calafiori’s reaction to a hectic full debut…
I am so happy to have scored and I am a bit disappointed that we didn’t win. It was so tough. We reacted really good and the second half was extremely tough, more mentally than physically.
Source: BBC Match of the Day
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John Stones on Arsenal’s mastery of the ‘dark arts’…
I wouldn’t say they’ve mastered it. They’ve done it for a few years and we know to expect that. You can call it clever or dirty, whichever way you want to put it, they break up the game and it upsets the rhythm for everyone. They use it for their advantage. I thought we dealt with it really well. It’s not easy when those things are happening, you’re trying to gain momentum and those little stoppages stop that.
Source: Sky Sports
Long shots this afternoon (efforts worth 0.05(xG) or less):
◎ Man City: 25
◎ Arsenal: 1Guess which one went in 😅
— The xG Philosophy (@xGPhilosophy) September 22, 2024
Arteta’s thoughts on the nature of Trossard’s red card…
I’m expecting 100 Premier League games this season to play 10 against 11, or 10 against 10, or 9 against 10. Let’s see.
Source: Post-game press conference
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Jurrien Timber on how he’s coping with all the football and today’s result…
You want to win. Thursday, today, we didn’t but still, it was a long and hard week for myself. It’s been a long time since I’ve played so many games, especially in seven days, so that’s really good. We just need to keep going and keep improving. I think we showed a huge performance today. No win, unlucky, but I think we can build on this for sure.
Source: Arsenal.com
28 – Man City’s 98th minute equaliser was their latest goal scored on record (from 06-07) in a Premier League match. It was from their 28th shot of the second half, the joint-second highest ever by a side on record (from 03-04) in a single half of Premier League football. Chaos. pic.twitter.com/q7FAq3yEAm
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) September 22, 2024
Joe Hart on an exciting showdown…
My heart is beating out of my chest, I absolutely loved that. Wild at the end, so much passion. A great effort from Arsenal, from the ten players. City stayed true to how they want to play. A special mention to David Raya’s incredible performance.
Source: premierleague.com
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Arteta on the red card’s toll on the game…
I want to be involved in a game at this level that puts the game in a situation that we can enjoy it and we can talk about it in the proper way and we are not talking about that, it’s clear, you haven’t asked me one single tactical question.
Source: Post-game press conference
Man City vs Arsenal: Second Half Passes & Crosses pic.twitter.com/8l4tFs9ztj
— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) September 22, 2024
Ian Wright on Arsenal settling for a point…
When he [Arteta] looks back at this if you go to City with ten men for so long, in the end, you’ve got to be happy to take the point. It would have brilliant if the game was 11 v 11. I’m so proud of the boys to go that long. It all kicked off at the end there because they went so close to holding off City, it would have been great from the mentally.
Source: premierleague.com
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Micah Richards on Arsenal’s centre-backs…
Gabriel and Saliba were unbelievable. To defend like that for 45 minutes in the second half against the best team in the league is remarkable. When Gabriel came to Arsenal he was making a few mistakes, but he has changed his game to be reliable.
Source: Sky Sports
Lol, Sky asked Opta how many mins the ball was in play for the 2nd half (obviously to feed a narrative about time wasting etc) & the answer was 35mins. The MOST of ANY game in the league this season.
— RG (@GeezyPeas) September 22, 2024
Roy Keane on Arsenal’s decision to stick everyone behind the ball…
I know we’re giving them credit for sitting in and defending but they still need to do a little bit more in possession. Ok, it came on late, the goal, but you always felt it was going to come. You’re talking about Arsenal Football Club trying to win league titles, they done it as well against Brighton in the last 10 or 15 minutes, they were almost time-wasting, settling for a draw. I want to see another side to Arsenal and I didn’t quite see it today.
Source: Sky Sports
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Theo Walcott on Arsenal’s effort…
They’ve worked so hard. They would have taken that at the start of the game. They’ve limited City to scraps.
Source: Sky Sports
David Raya's nine saves today are the joint-most on record (since 2003-04) by an #Arsenal keeper in a Premier League match.
Was going to lament how he didn't deserve to be on the losing side, but obviously he wasn't! Testament to us though I think that it feels like a loss
— Tom Ede (@TomEde1) September 22, 2024
Roy Keane, it’s time to retire from punditry, surely all your gambling debts and bar tabs are paid off by now.
Can’t appreciate good attacking, can’t appreciate good defending. His throughline is that nothing in life is impressive, unless it’s Roy Keane. Wrighty and Micah Richards aren’t getting paid anywhere near enough to dilute his psychosis.
He’s completely unimpressive- the phrase “impotent rage” springs to mind whenever I see him.
He’s a true ass.
He’s a bitter old fart who says nothing of interest. Like the washed up bores on 606 he’s just there to stir controversy in an effort to drive engagement.
Is Roy actually serious? How can he say that without the context of being down to 10 men?
Any other team tried doing what he suggested and they’d have lost by 2 or 3 goals.
Yeah. How dumb was he. And he seems to forgotten we were a goal up! It was a completely viable strategy to dig deep and defend our lead, with 10 men against city at their home. We weren’t fighting for a point and we almost pulled off the win too!
Yes, if the whistle had been blown at the end of the “allotted” ET, they would not have scored!
He hate protect the brand. Can’t admit the whole 2nd half was a joke because of a shambolic call.
No bone to pick with Roy, he’s useless. Wright though! What can I say? I enjoy his celebrations when we score and win games but for a man brought on to bring an “arsenal perspective” when other teams have a biased pundit I feel him very infuriating when he even sides with their weird opinions just to look neutral. Rice and now Trossard but Doku gets away with it, I watched Colwill sleep on the ball then carry it away after yesterday and nothing. Nothing! Saliba got it for half that. How about a pundit who says “look, I understand… Read more »
That’s a replica of the reaction from many rival fans. People are calling us cheats, dirty, anti-football etc.
Liverpool played Tottenham exactly this way last season when they had a man down… I never saw this much outrage. I am honestly baffled. What has Arsenal football club done to the wider football community to be copping this much hate? Surely, such level of hatred should be reserved for cheats like Citeh, no? Mental.
Keane at one point spoke about how Arteta should have shown more class. Linke you did with Alf Inge Haaland you mean, Roy?
Can’t’ take anything he says seriously. He’s an A grade tool.
How’s United’s season going Keane?
You stupid idiot
Roy Keane is a plonker.
Sure will be glad when Keane finally retires. Of course, he’ll be replaced by some other brain dead former player.
Roy Keane wanted to see a game of football, and we got it. For one half.
Ps. Phil McNulty gave us a glowing review on BBC, said this result proves we’re right in the title race.
McNulty makes Keane look like Einstein.
I heard that stat about the ball being in play for 35 minutes in the second half, which is the most in the Premier League. I know we had players go down with cramp and there were subs but struggling to understand where 7 minutes came from if the ball was in play for so long? We didn’t waste that much time! Also Haaland is a right knob head for throwing the ball at the back of Gabbies head after the equaliser.
Relieved to see I’m not crazy by that ball in play stat. The seven added minutes did my head in. I thought for sure they would add a lot to give City an advantage but was thinking 3-5 would be egregious.
Well, their goal was scored on the EIGHTH minute of ET so they did add more to give the 115ers the advantage
How can you say we need to do more in possession with 10 men against the best team in the league. Just shut the fuck up.
I really cannot understand this incredulous response to Arsenal’s 2nd half performance.
You’re a goal up, a man down against the most cheated coded team in history, and the pundits are like , “seems a bit overly defensive to me.”
so strange.
“You can call it clever or dirty, whichever way you want to put it”
I’ll call it resolute thanks Stones you bitter twat.
Uhm no we wouldn’t have taken that at the start Walcott. We came for a win.
“Lol, Sky asked Opta how many mins the ball was in play for the 2nd half (obviously to feed a narrative about time wasting etc) & the answer was 35mins. The MOST of ANY game in the league this season.”
So where the fuck did seven minutes of extra time come from at the end, with even more being added on top of that until City got an equaliser?
Good point.
The refs don’t actually count, they just do whatever “feels right in the moment.”
Oh I am SO glad you noticed that too! I thought I was the only one who saw there was MORE time added on until they scored!
Keane is so d*mb
Sky asking Opta for how much time was wasted and finding out that Arsenal played 35 minutes with the ball in play in the second half, more than any half of football all season in any PL game.
When the board went up with 7 on it?? Where the fuck were 7 minutes of stopages in that 2nf half. Bullshit bent reffing for the card and the added time. Disband the PGMOL an organisation at best incompetent, at worst corrupt.
7 minutes went up, and then played for ten…
Defo corrupt in my book – they can’t all be THAT stupid, surely?
It takes nerve or complete ignorance to essentially call arsenal cheats for the dark arts when your team has been charged with over 100 violations for cheating.
May i speak for Arsenal, club as well as every fan, and say no one wishes to see any side of Roy Keane whatsoever except for the one shown when he fucks off? I may? OK then, fuck off Roy!