Morning all.

I’ve to say I’m most amused by the deal with Arsenal and the ‘darkish arts’ after the sport on Sunday. We’ve had a procession of Man Metropolis gamers come out to complain about it or, no less than, reference it.

Manuel Akanji requested if Arsenal had mastered the ‘darkish arts’: “Sure, I don’t suppose there are various higher than them at it.”

John Stones in his post-game interview: “You possibly can name it intelligent or soiled, whichever approach you need to put it, they break up the sport and it upsets the rhythm for everybody. They use it for his or her benefit.”

Bernardo Silva: “There was just one group that got here to play soccer. The opposite got here to play to the boundaries of what was attainable to do and allowed by the referee, sadly.

“The referee allowed a sequence of time-wasting occasions. The factor that bothers me essentially the most is having a whole lot of conferences with the FA at first of every season. They inform us they may management this sort of scenario and can cease them, however in the long run it doesn’t have any price. They are saying so much however nothing occurs.”

Nothing occurs?! We actually had a participant despatched off for it! It additionally overlooks the truth that regardless of Metropolis going forward, we performed sufficient soccer to be 2-1 up on the break, and that second half promised so much from us earlier than the Trossard crimson card compelled a change in ways. Nothing occurs. Get outta right here.

What’s fairly amusing about all that is the truth that Man Metropolis, and each Pep Guardiola group ever, has had a cynical streak a mile lengthy. Even when he had gamers as good as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta at his disposal, they weren’t averse the sort of nonsense you’d see from Sergio Busquets frequently. An excellent participant too, by the best way, however somebody who would dive, roll round, make fouls and disrupt the opposition’s rhythm at each alternative. Even at 11 v 11, not to mention taking part in a whole half half a person down.

And who do you suppose advised him to do this? A person sitting not distant from Mikel Arteta on Sunday. A chair kicker extraordinaire. A person whose spittle was so white he may as properly have been Riquelme going through Jens Lehmann. Right here’s a pic I’ve shared earlier than, it’s our supervisor whereas he was a coach at Man Metropolis – underneath Pep, to be 100% clear, and working underneath his instruction – giving some pre-game directions to a few of their gamers:

I believe I noticed a quote from Guardiola afterwards the place he principally mentioned he would have completed the identical as we did within the context of the sport. So, it makes it extra humorous that Metropolis’s gamers are complaining about one thing their very own supervisor would do if he needed to. Which is – to be clear – no matter it takes to get a lead to a sport of soccer. Arsenal didn’t invent these things, it goes on in each sport at each degree each weekend of the 12 months, nevertheless it’s humorous the way it’s within the highlight due to our efficiency towards Man Metropolis.

Slightly than be aggravated by this sort of stuff, we must be amused by it. We must be inspired by it, as a result of the best way Sunday went and Metropolis’s response to it, tells you that we’re not a group they take evenly anymore. Erling Haaland shedding the plot and telling Mikel Arteta to ‘keep humble’ may irk some individuals, nevertheless it simply makes me chuckle. I believed the best way the supervisor did a double-take as if he didn’t fairly hear him, earlier than simply strolling off was hilarious and completely dismissive.

The Man Metropolis Twitter account clipping up a video of Haaland committing a few rugby tackles on Saliba and Partey (each of which have been extra deserving of a yellow than something Trossard did) tells you loads about how this sport went for them. He scored a terrific aim the opposite day, however they highlighted the actual fact he’s a 6’5 battering ram, as if it confirmed how we’d been pushed round. Everyone knows we weren’t, as a result of it is a group you may’t try this to anymore. Haaland, an excellent goalscorer, beefing with a 17 12 months previous who had simply made his debut, spoke volumes to me.

I liked Gabriel’s response to a query about Haaland throwing the ball in the back of his head:

I don’t even keep in mind this. It’s regular, they have been joyful after scoring within the final minute. It’s a battle, a battle and provocation is regular in soccer. Now it’s over and we’ll be ready for them at our home.

Be aware the distinction in perspective there. As Metropolis’s gamers lined as much as bitch and moan, their sense of entitlement pricked in a giant approach, Gabriel simply shrugged all of it off. Having been a part of a defensive effort that just about received us three factors, and been on the top of the ball factor, he most likely had extra trigger to be bitter in his post-match interview than any of them, and he simply mentioned ‘Yeah no matter. We’ll see you subsequent time.’

And we’ll. I like that. Anyway, sufficient of them. They’ve their very own issues to take care of now, and we’ve got to look ahead and get on with the remainder of what this week brings. There’s a Carabao Cup sport tomorrow (Arteta will meet the press later in the present day, in order that might be fascinating), and the group choice can be fascinating. We’ll have extra on that tomorrow, and press convention updates over on Arseblog Information.

Within the meantime, in order for you one thing to hearken to, we put out three podcasts yesterday.

1 – Arsecast Further masking the sport towards Metropolis.
2 – Arsenal Girls Arsecast, a brand new format for this present discussing the 2-2 with Man Metropolis on Sunday.
3 – The 30 over on Patreon – discussing all of the weekend’s Premier League motion.

Hopefully that’s sufficient to maintain you going for some time anyway. Proper, I’ll depart it there for now, have one.