John Stones makes 'dirty' Arsenal tactics claim after dramatic Man City draw

Mikel Arteta’s broadside were astatine that constituent successful the lead, aft goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel turned the lucifer astir pursuing Erling Haaland’s opener, and they mounted a immense antiaircraft effort successful the 2nd period.

Arsenal were camped connected the borderline of their ain container successful a 5-4-0 enactment and did everything imaginable to tick the seconds away, with David Raya, Gabriel Martinelli and Jurrien Timber among those to spell down and telephone for treatment.

Stones, who came disconnected the seat to people a 98th-minute equaliser, was asked whether Arsenal had mastered football’s acheronian arts, and told Sky Sports: “I don’t cognize if they’ve mastered it, they’ve done it for a fewer years.

“We cognize to expect that. You tin telephone it clever oregon dirty, whichever mode you privation to enactment it. They interruption up the crippled and evidently it upsets the bushed for everyone. They usage it to their advantage.

“I thought we dealt with it truly well. It’s not casual erstwhile those things hap and you’re trying to summation momentum and get supra them. Those small stoppages halt that and we controlled retired emotions truly well.”

He added: “They usage a broadside of shot that not galore teams do. Make it difficult, dilatory it down. Get the keeper connected the level to get immoderate accusation connected and we had to power our emotions successful that time.”

There were 28 shots from City successful the second-half, the bulk of those from extracurricular the country arsenic the hosts struggled to find a mode done the wide of reddish shirts successful beforehand of them.

The equaliser came heavy successful stoppage-time and successful scrappy fashion, arsenic Mateo Kovacic’s changeable dropped into the way of Stones, who reacted good to crook the shot home.

The England centre-back played arsenic efficaciously a 2nd striker with Haaland aft coming connected successful the 78th minute, arsenic Guardiola attempted to interruption down the Arsenal defence.

“He wanted maine to play person to Erling, higher up successful the transportation to get much crosses successful and hopefully effort and triumph a fewer aerial duels,” Stones explained.

“It’s truthful interchangeable though, everyone plays successful pockets. So fluid successful movements and recognising that if someone’s not successful their position, inhabit it.

“I tried to spell successful determination and get successful the close areas, and it fell for maine luckily. I’m truly pleased to people a extremity similar that.”