Arsenal succumbed to their third consecutive defeat in the Premier League on Saturday when they lost 5-0 to Manchester City and after the game, Pep Guardiola commented on his former assistant Mikel Arteta.
The Gunners had dispatched West Bromwich Albion during the week, which resulted in some optimism. But after the hosts took the lead early on, the team unraveled and never looked like they would get back into the game.
There was a mix of good play from City players and terrible defending from the north Londoners. It was a day to forget for Arteta who got everything wrong including the line-up and was not helped by Granit Xhaka getting sent off.
Following the game, Guardiola was asked about the Gunners manager and he was quoted as saying(via talkSport):
“The moment he has the full squad, everything is going [to go] well. I know him perfectly & know the quality he has as a person & as a manager”
This was not received well by the Arsenal fans who didn’t like what the City manager had to say. It is not the first time the former Barcelona boss has said something encouraging after beating his fellow countryman. The fans took to Twitter to show their frustration and here are some of the best reactions:
He’s lying!!!!!
— mort (@mort1_) August 29, 2021
Very ii ridiculous 🖕
— ziqriizaidii🇲🇾 (@ziqrizaidii) August 29, 2021
Pep seeking 6 free points this season. Sambi Lokongo was on bench that plays very well on Partey position. Who was lacking Ben white? Arteta is clueless
— Arsenie Boy❄️ (@Jeremie85956884) August 29, 2021
Ah yes and we all know how truthful Pep Guardiola is with his comments in the media.
— J. 🏴☠️ (@Jigovic_) August 29, 2021
Guadiorla lied to save his friend, never trust his word
— NARA (@Art8taOut) August 29, 2021
Same story last season
— Tommy (@AkwekeThomas) August 29, 2021
Arsenal Fever View
To be fair to Arteta, the north Londoners were without a few key players and that definitely would have affected the team selection. But to have Xhaka and Martin Odegaard in the center of midfield to deal with the might of City was foolish, to say the least.
More than the defeat it was the manner of the performance that was disappointing. The players seemed lethargic and did not want to press as a team. This made it easy for the hosts to keep the ball for as long as they wanted, and the match ended with them having 81% of the possession.
That stat alone is proof of how the Gunners were completely outplayed and despite what Guardiola has to say, the fans’ disappointment is understandable. Arteta needs a miracle to turn things around and stay in the Arsenal job. The next few games will determine the manager’s future.
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