115-charge Man City are ‘dark arts’ hypocrites

Robin Bairner

• 23 Sept 2024 07:08 BST
• 4 min read

Arsenal stood accused by Manchester City of employing the “dark arts” during their 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday in what was a blockbuster Premier League encounter, yet simply outperformed Pep Guardiola’s side in this aspect of the game.

Make no mistake, City were doing everything within their power to gain an edge in this game.

Kyle Walker complained to Radio5Live after the game: “As a football match, it is a great spectacle for the Premier League. Probably not so much certain stuff - I think it’s part and parcel of the game and we'll say the dark arts.

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“I think as a Manchester City fan or player, you are obviously frustrated. As an Arsenal manager, he is going to say well played and well managed.”

John Stones added: “I wouldn't say they have mastered it but they have done it for a few years now so we knew to expect that. You can call it clever or dirty, whichever way you want to put it, but they break up the game which upsets the rhythm.”

Many fans would point out the irony of a team that currently stands accused of at least 115 Financial Fair Play breaches branding another as “dirty” or employing the “dark arts”.

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City, it must be stressed, have not been found guilty of anything and continue to insist they are innocent.

With the legal case set to take months, the dust is already settling on their dramatic draw with Arsenal.

First-minute madness

Rodri set the tone for the match after approximately three seconds.

The Spaniard, who would later go off with a knee injury after a clash with Thomas Partey, had Kai Havertz career into him immediately. Rodri had subtly stepped across the line of the German, who was making an attempt to immediately press as the ball was sent back to Ederson in the City goal.

Not only did the City midfielder provoke the contact by cannily swaying into the line of the Arsenal striker, his reaction was clearly one designed to have Havertz sent off for something that was little more than a collision.

Guardiola’s side were attempting to gain an underhand edge just as much as Arsenal were – they just weren’t as good at it.

Walker himself had tried to use the ‘Dark Arts’ when marking Gabriel at a corner. Instead, though, he allowed the Brazilian to get a run on him and head home a go-ahead goal for the guests after earlier strikes from Erling Haaland and Riccardo Calafiori.

After Leandro Trossard had been sent-off, the Gunners switched to survival mode. They packed their box, and they scrapped and they battled. And, yes, they bent the rules and killed time.

Just how well they frustrated the defending Premier League champions can be measured in their opponents’ reaction after the game.

City, though, are in no position to lecture Arsenal on the game’s dark arts - either on the field or off it.