John Stones Blasts Arsenal’s ‘Disruptive’ Tactics After Dramatic City 98th-minute Equaliser
John Stones scored a sensational 98th-minute equaliser to salvage a 1-1 draw for Manchester City against Arsenal, keeping their incredible 47-game unbeaten run at home intact. But it wasn’t just his heroic last-minute header that made headlines — Stones took a swipe at Arsenal for what he described as “dirty” tactics aimed at disrupting City’s flow throughout the game.
The drama began when Arsenal found themselves down to 10 men after Leandro Trossard was controversially sent off late in the first half. Trossard, already on a yellow card, kicked the ball away during stoppage time, which led to the referee showing him a second yellow. The decision sparked outrage on the Arsenal bench, with manager Mikel Arteta visibly frustrated, but his side rallied and defended valiantly for much of the second half, nearly snatching all three points before Stones’ last-gasp intervention.
Despite being a man down, Arsenal adopted a defensive strategy that seemed aimed at frustrating City. They slowed the game down, used every opportunity to disrupt City’s rhythm, and executed tactical fouls. Stones, who was instrumental in ensuring City kept pushing for the equaliser, spoke candidly about Arsenal’s approach after the match.
“It was a difficult afternoon for both teams, how they stop the play, how they use the side of football that not many teams do,” Stones said. “You can call it clever or dirty, whichever way you want to put it, but they break up the game which upsets the rhythm. They use it to their advantage, and we dealt with it very well.”
Stones elaborated on how Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics were part of their game plan, suggesting they had long perfected the art of disruption. “They slow the game down, they get the keeper on the floor so they can get some information onto the pitch. We had to control our emotions during those tough times, and I felt like we did. There were a lot of tough tackles, some silly decisions, but we did well,” he added.
The England international didn’t hold back in his assessment of Arsenal’s tactics, though he acknowledged that it’s not new from the North London side. “I wouldn’t say they have mastered it, but they have done it for a few years now, so we knew to expect that.”
Pep Guardiola, Stones’ manager, also praised his team’s discipline and calmness in dealing with Arsenal’s defensive strategy. “With 11 against 10, it’s different. They defended so deep. Give credit to Arsenal, they’re really good and they defend altogether,” said Guardiola. “We were so smart not to make quick actions and we were so smart not to concede fouls. Don’t touch them, which was really good, because the game continued and at the end we scored.”
While City’s resilience ultimately paid off, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was left fuming with the decision to send off Trossard. However, he refused to be drawn into making extensive comments on the matter. “I prefer not to comment, because it was that obvious. I was already in big trouble trying to sort out what happened on the pitch, so it’s not my problem,” Arteta said post-match.
He continued, “Obviously, it’s a miracle we played 56 minutes at the Etihad with 10 men. It’s unbelievable what we’ve done. It’s obvious what happened when they made that decision, but it doesn’t deserve my comment. I don’t want to ruin anything else off the pitch.”
In the end, both teams walked away with a point, but the clash left plenty to discuss, from Stones’ dramatic equaliser to the tactical battle that saw Arsenal nearly pull off a major upset at the Etihad.
John Stones Blasts Arsenal’s ‘Disruptive’ Tactics After Dramatic City 98th-minute Equaliser
