Arsenal legend slams Man City star after Man Utd demolition
Tom Weber
- 30 Oct 2023 14:15 CDT
- 3 min read
Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg had some choice words for Man City star Rodri after a fiery Manchester derby.
Pep Guardiola's Cityzens ran out comfortable 3-0 victors over their Manchester rivals at the weekend. While the headlines have mainly been about Man Utd after yet another shambolic performance, Arsenal legend Freddie Ljungberg was incensed about the actions of a Man City star.
The first goal scored by last season's treble winners was a penalty, converted by Erling Haaland and awarded after Rodri was pulled down in the box by Rasmus Hojlund.
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Whether or not it was enough of a foul to go down the way the Spanish midfielder did is certainly up for debate - and Ljungberg believes that it was a blatant dive.
What did Ljungberg say?
Speaking on Viaplay, the former Arsenal winger voiced his frustration at what he perceived to be unsporting behaviour by Rodri, controversially claiming that this type of cheating is typical of Spanish football.
“I don’t like that sort of thing," the Swede said. "Maybe he does touch him with his arm, but Rodri weighs between 90 and 95 kilograms. He threw himself to the ground, you can tell he threw himself to the ground."
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“This is how it works in Spanish football. I don’t want Spanish football in the Premier League. I'm a little upset. Then I hear that it is Michael Oliver who is in the VAR room, so it does not surprise me that they finally called a penalty.”
The penalty would ultimately prove crucial, as Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag admitted after the match. "The penalty made the difference and changed the game," the Dutchman said. Man City would go on to score two more unanswered goals, pushing Man Utd further into crisis. Things could perhaps have panned out differently had it not been for Rodri's "dive."
