Arsenal (H) | PL | Post-match Thread

Bernardo not pulling any punches.

"It started in the first second. From the very first play we saw what was going to happen," Silva said after the game. "We ended up having a player injured, because in 10 minutes they sent him to the ground twice. It turned out that the first goal we conceded was a play in which the referee called our captain to talk and then didn't let him recover his position.

"The second goal we concede is a move in which our goalkeeper is blocked and the referee allows it. And then a series of events that the referee was allowing, wasting time, and what I think bothers me the most is that we have meetings with the FA at the start of the season, they always tell us that they're going to control these situations and prevent them from happening.

"But at the end of the day, words are worth little, because they talk, they talk and nothing happens."
 
Bernardo not pulling any punches.

"It started in the first second. From the very first play we saw what was going to happen," Silva said after the game. "We ended up having a player injured, because in 10 minutes they sent him to the ground twice. It turned out that the first goal we conceded was a play in which the referee called our captain to talk and then didn't let him recover his position.

"The second goal we concede is a move in which our goalkeeper is blocked and the referee allows it. And then a series of events that the referee was allowing, wasting time, and what I think bothers me the most is that we have meetings with the FA at the start of the season, they always tell us that they're going to control these situations and prevent them from happening.

"But at the end of the day, words are worth little, because they talk, they talk and nothing happens."
He’ll probably get a ban now for speaking and telling it how it is,good lad Bernardo.
 
Bernardo not pulling any punches.

"It started in the first second. From the very first play we saw what was going to happen," Silva said after the game. "We ended up having a player injured, because in 10 minutes they sent him to the ground twice. It turned out that the first goal we conceded was a play in which the referee called our captain to talk and then didn't let him recover his position.

"The second goal we concede is a move in which our goalkeeper is blocked and the referee allows it. And then a series of events that the referee was allowing, wasting time, and what I think bothers me the most is that we have meetings with the FA at the start of the season, they always tell us that they're going to control these situations and prevent them from happening.

"But at the end of the day, words are worth little, because they talk, they talk and nothing happens."
Give him a statue
 
should have swapped Foden for Dias and left walker for cover after 50min, cant understand how professional footballers cant hit the target from 20 yards out.
 
Bernardo Silva on the difference between Man City’s matches against Liverpool and Arsenal:''

“Perhaps because Liverpool has already won the EPL and Arsenal hasn’t. Liverpool, at that time, had also won a UCL, while Arsenal hasn’t. Liverpool always faced us head-on, to win matches. From that perspective, our games against Arsenal haven’t been like the matches against Liverpool were, and still are!”


He knows exactly how to get under the opponents skin. Legend.
 
Just saying but a few seasons ago we would have put them to the sword by 4 or 5 once they went to ten men. We had goals all through the team but now it’s the big fella or nowt.
Nah. Arsenal literally played a 5-4-0 formation in the second half and they were incredibly disciplined and organised with it. Literally fuck all was getting through them today unless it was a shot from distance or a set-piece. We could have moved a little faster with the ball - Walker to Kovacic to Akanji to Dias to Akanji to Bernardo, etc. was hardly inspiring - but Arsenal stopped our main line of attack (runs off the ball in behind) and kept their two banks of defenders really, really close together. I would have put Foden and Grealish on earlier but that's about it really.

This idea that we've always blown away 10-man defences in previous seasons is a false memory of yours. Actually, it's a full-on myth. Arsenal being 2-1 up and going down to 10 men is completely different to, say, Wolves, or much weaker Arsenal teams, going down to 10 men while already being behind and City just walking all over them as they get tired. Arteta's current Arsenal are fit and disciplined at the back in a way no other team in the league is. We all felt it at half-time, that Arsenal going down to 10 was just an invitation for them to camp in their own box and stay put. And that's what we got.

I've had a look back at every Premier League season since Pep took over to find all the games when an opposition player has been sent off at the Etihad, and what the results were.

16/17
Manchester United 0-0 D (Fellaini sent off, 84 mins)

17/18
Everton 1-1 D (Schneiderlin sent off, 88 mins) - Walker also sent off in that game
Liverpool 5-0 W (Mané sent off, 37 mins) - already 1-0 to City when red card shown

18/19
Wolves 3-0 W (Boly sent off, 19 mins) - already 1-0 to City when red card shown

19/20
Arsenal 3-0 W (David Luiz sent off, 49 mins) - already 1-0 to City when red card shown

20/21
Leeds 1-2 L (Cooper sent off, 45 mins) - 1-0 to Leeds when red card shown

21/22
Arsenal 5-0 W (Xhaka sent off, 35 mins) - already 2-0 to City when red card shown
Wolves 1-0 W (Jimenez sent off, 45 mins) - 0-0 when red card shown, City win via Raheem Sterling penalty

22/23
N/A

23/24
N/A

24/25
Arsenal 2-2 D (Trossard sent off, 45 mins) - 2-1 to Arsenal when red card shown

So, compiling all the data, in seasons under Pep Guardiola - City's opponents have had a man sent off while leading or drawing on five occasions. Manchester United, Everton, Leeds, Wolves, Arsenal. City's record in those five games is P5 W1 D3 D1. And on the occasion City managed to win the game, a debatable penalty was awarded to City on 66 mins. So, no, historically, we actually don't "put teams to the sword" when they're down to 10 men but already winning/drawing. In fact, in games where our opponents are winning at the point they go down to 10 men, our record is P2 W0 D1 L1.

The result against Arsenal today was entirely typical of our history under Guardiola in similar situations.
 
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I've heard the Club are really worried about Phil's mental health, could be absolute bollocks hopefully, I'm worried for our local talisman, I'll say no more but others may have more info.
 
It used to called obstruction, now it’s ‘blocking’
As Arsenal are a major threat to City, I hope Pep raises this "blocking" at his next press conference (for a League game,).
Ederson was far too flimsy mind and City's zonal marking was woeful.
But Arsenal have got away with an organised way of stopping opposition goalies getting to the back post.
They will keep doing it until they are penalised for continuous obstruction...
 

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