You know that famous Leonardo Dicaprio meme? — The one where he points at the television after spotting something familiar? — Well, Arsenal fans would’ve experienced a moment like that on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners cemented their place in this season’s title race after holding Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium last weekend.
Had it not have been for a 99-minute equaliser from John Stones, Mikel Arteta’s men would have beaten City away for the first time since January 2015. But it wasn’t to be and the points were shared.
Arsenal mocked for defensive approach against Manchester City
Despite the magnitude of the result, especially since the away side played the whole second half with 10 men after Leandro Trossard was shown a red card, the post-match reaction has created a narrative which suggested the Gunners camped in their own half without even attempting to win the game.
Roy Keane leads criticism with ‘dinosaur’ comment
Arteta’s tactics, which saw him replace Bukayo Saka for Ben White at half-time at the Etihad, have come under fire with Roy Keane among the Spaniard’s biggest critics.
“If Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce, Steve Bruce or Neil Warnock set up a team like that [Arsenal at Manchester City] for the second half, they are ‘dinosaurs’,” Keane said on the ‘Stick to Football‘ podcast.
“When Arsenal do it, it’s called ‘brilliant’, it’s ‘concentration levels’.
Pep Guardiola guilty of same thing
However, while Arteta’s men receive criticism for shutting up shop and trying to contain the defending champions, they may feel a slight sense of satisfaction after Pep Guardiola was proven to have lined his team up the same way.
Saturday afternoon’s early Premier League kick-off saw Newcastle United host City at St. James’ Park. Although Josko Gvardiol opened the scoring after just 35 minutes, the Sky Blues ended up sharing the points again after Anthony Gordon levelled from the spot in the second half.
Gordon’s strike inspired his teammates which saw them push for a second, and probable winner, and although it wasn’t to be, City obviously had their concerns because an eagle-eyed fan spotted a moment in play which saw all 11 of City’s players camped inside their own 18-yard box.
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— Big GUN (@Re_birth499) September 28, 2024
Arsenal fans will feel vindicated by the fact their newest rivals have been proven guilty of the same thing their side was mocked for so harshly in the aftermath of last weekend’s result.
After Leicester City, who they host at the Emirates this afternoon, next up for the Gunners is back-to-back home ties with the first being a mammoth Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain before Southampton visit in the Premier League next weekend.