A month ago
Mikel Arteta has every reason to feel worried after the Arsenal-Manchester City controversy. MANCHESTER CITY 2–2 ARSENAL Pep Guardiola's side is still leading the Premier League following their dramatic draw with Arsenal, but the Gunners have sent a significant signal to their title contenders.
This one has far-reaching consequences. But one thing is certain: Arsenal is closing the gap on Manchester City and may possibly have the upper hand. Arsenal came so close to victory with ten men. They put up a valiant rearguard action that only crumbled after a 98th-minute goalmouth scramble, leaving City to celebrate a last-gasp draw.City had run out of ideas, had nowhere to go, and then got lucky with a deflection that dropped to John Stones, who scored. The goal felt inevitable because it kept City at the top of the table and just added to Arsenal's sense of injustice.
Leandro Trossard was sent off for two yellow cards, the second for kicking the ball away during first-half injury time. Given that Declan Rice had received his marching orders for doing the same thing the previous month, it seemed illogical. However, referee Michael Oliver did not issue a yellow card in the first half when Jeremy Doku kicked the ball away, delaying a restart.
Is Mikel Arteta right to be upset? Definitely. Should he be paranoid about decisions? It's starting to look like it. Managers simply want consistency. That simply fueled the fire between the two sets of players, escalating the title rivalry even further. That is a tribute to Arsenal, because incumbent champions are only defeated by teams they perceive as a threat.Forget Arteta's friendship with Pep Guardiola. Or the fact that they exchanged hugs after the final whistle. Now they are the Premier League's main opponents, and the apprentice is vying for the sorcerer's crown.