AFCON 2025
Manchester City’s John Stones and Bernardo Silva criticised Arsenal’s “dirty” approach and “time-wasting” after the hostile atmosphere in their 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Gabriel Magalhaes scored the visitors’ second goal with a header from a Bukayo Saka corner while three Arsenal players blocked City’s goalkeeper Ederson. Leandro Trossard was then sent off just before half-time after receiving a second yellow card for kicking the ball away and, down to 10 men in the second half, Arsenal slowed the game down whenever possible. The visitors’ tactics almost earned a crucial win for Mikel Arteta, but Stones’s 98th-minute strike rescued a point for the hosts, who continued to probe until the last whistle.
Asked about Arsenal’s dirty tactics, Stones said:
“I don’t know if they have 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. 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.”
Silva agreed with his centre-back, saying, “Only one team came to play football.
“The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee.”
