Manchester City’s players take swipe at ‘dirty’ Arsenal and taunt rivals for lack of trophies

John Stones and Bernardo Silva took a blistering swipe at “dirty” Arsenal’s dark arts and taunted them for their lack of trophies after their title rivalry exploded during a stormy clash at the Etihad Stadium.

On a day of controversy and high drama, the 10 men of Arsenal came within seconds of becoming the first Premier League team to win at the Etihad Stadium for almost two years only for Stones’ 98th minute equaliser to snatch a last gasp 2-2 draw for the champions.

Arsenal adopted an ultra-defensive approach in the second half after Leandro Trossard was shown a second yellow card on the cusp of half-time for kicking the ball away to the fury of manager Mikel Arteta.

It almost paid off before Stones’ dramatic intervention but City were left furious by what they felt were Arsenal’s time-wasting and deliberate attempts to disrupt the rhythm of the game by running down the clock.

“There was only one team that came to play football,” said Bernardo, who was pictured making an ‘O’ gesture with his hands, which could have been in reference to the trophies won by the two sides. “The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately.”

“The difference [between City’s rivalry with Arsenal and with Liverpool]? 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.”

Stones said it was imperative City were not riled by Arsenal’s “dirty” tactics. “I don’t know if they [Arsenal] have mastered it [the ‘dark arts’ of football] - they’ve done it for a few years, and we know to expect that,” the City defender said. “You can call it clever, or dirty, whichever way you want to put it.

“They break up the game, and obviously it upsets the rhythm for everyone. They use it for their advantage, and I thought we dealt with it really well.

“It’s not easy when those things are happening, and you’re trying to gain momentum, you’re trying to get a foot in the game and get above them. Those little stoppages stop that, and I thought we dealt with it really well.

“It was a difficult afternoon, I think for both teams - how they stopped the play, how they used the side of football that not many teams do, make it difficult, slow it down, get the keeper [David Raya] on the floor to get some information on.

“We had to control our emotions during those times, and I felt that we did, and it was a good battle - a lot of tackles, some silly decisions.

“I think for the past few years we’ve had a rivalry that’s been growing - one that we thrive off, and one that we always want to come out on top.”

Erling Haaland celebrated City’s equaliser by throwing the ball at Gabriel’s head after which a clash between the City striker and Arsenal defender sparked a huge melee between both sets of players.

But Bernardo - who made a beeline for the fourth official Andrew Madley - was particularly frustrated that the officials did not do more in his opinion to punish Arsenal’s time-wasting and perceived dirty tricks and questioned the decision to allow both of their goals to stand.

Kyle Walker was ordered over to speak to referee Michael Oliver and did not have time to recover his position before Arsenal took a quick free-kick in the lead up to Riccardo Calafiori’s equaliser and Bernardo felt City goalkeeper Ederson was impeded for the second goal scored by Gabriel from a corner.

“It all started in the very first second,” the City midfielder said. “In the first action [Kai Havertz checking Rodri] we realised what was going to happen. We had a player [Rodri] injured after they sent him to the ground twice in ten minutes.

“We had a goal conceded after the referee called our captain and then didn’t allow him to recover his position. The second goal is already their usual block to our keeper allowed by the referee. And then the referee allowed a sequence of time-wasting events.

“The thing that bothers me the most is having a lot of meetings with the FA at the beginning of each season. They tell us they will control this kind of situation and will stop them, but at the end it doesn’t have any worth. They say a lot but nothing happens.”

Pep Guardiola said he lost count of the number of Arsenal players who “went down with cramp”.

“I don’t know how many [Arsenal] players went down with cramp, but that can of course happen in a demanding game,” he said.

Asked about Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics, the City manager added: “Maybe I would have done the same because it is with ten men. You have to ask Mikel what the tactic was.

“They were good with the long balls into Kai Havertz who is so strong and they go for the second balls. In the end we were patient, had the chances and got the goal. That’s all.”

Arteta was furious about the decision to dismiss Trossard - who had already been booked for pulling back Savinho - after Declan Rice had been sent off in similar circumstances for kicking the ball away against Brighton. Jeremy Doku escaped censure in the game for kicking the ball away, although the City winger appeared to be kicking it towards the area he felt an Arsenal free-kick should be taken.

“It’s that obvious that it’s not necessary to comment on it. It’s the second time [this season],” Arteta said. “I’m expecting 100 Premier League games to be 10 against 11 or nine vs 10 this season. Let’s see. It has already happened twice in five games which is very worrying to see in the best league the Premier League.”

Over the Walker controversy for Arsenal’s first goal, Guardiola said in the future “I will say to my players when the referee says come and talk to me we will not go” but added that his players should have compensated for the situation by reorganising.

Walker felt Oliver should have been given him time to get back into position. “I’m not ever going to come on national TV, national radio and start slagging people off because there’s enough of that going on around in the world,” he said. “What I’m saying is I’ve not gone over to the referee. Me and Bukayo (Saka) have not gone over to the referee - he’s called us over.

“So if I’m being called over to the referee, he then should wait and allow me to get back in position before the ball is then gone over my head.”So if I go over to the referee by my own accord and I’m out of position, it’s my fault. But I’m in position, he’s called the two captains obviously to calm the players down.

“I’m walking back saying, ‘Lads, concentrate, nothing stupid, make sure we get through this’. The ball is then going over my head.”Me and Mike have a very good relationship and I think he has a very hard job, especially at the top level. So that’s not me being critical of him. I know he has a hard enough job, he’s got 22 angry players screaming at him continuously.”If he calls me over, if I go over of my own accord, fair enough. But for him to call both captains over and then not let me get back in position...”If I was a goalkeeper, does he let me get back in my net? Of course. I’m a defender, I’m the first line of defence he should let me get back in and be set and then blow the whistle.”