Man City were right, Arsenal ARE masters of the dark arts as shock stats show Gunners are league’s biggest time-wasters

SEVERAL Manchester City stars were near unhappy astatine Arsenal for their "dark arts" during Sunday's crunch clash astatine the Etihad.

And according to the stats, they whitethorn good person a point...

Pep Guardiola's broadside took the pb connected 9 minutes, erstwhile Erling Haaland prodded location pursuing Savinho's done ball.

Arsenal subsequently turned the crippled connected its caput earlier half-time, with goals by Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel handing them the lead.

The lucifer turned heavy into archetypal fractional stoppage time, erstwhile Leandro Trossard was shown a 2nd yellowish paper for kicking the shot away.

Mikel Arteta's squad tried desperately to bent connected to their 2-1 lead, having conscionable 12.5 per cent possession successful the 2nd half.

But City's dominance yet told successful the eighth infinitesimal of stoppage time, erstwhile John Stones bundled the shot into the net.

Following the 2-2 draw, galore City players weren't shy successful voicing their displeasure astatine Arsenal's tactics.

Bernardo Silva told TNT Sports Brasil: "There was lone 1 squad that came to play football.

"The different came to play to the limits of what was imaginable to bash and allowed by the referee, unfortunately.

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"I'm gladsome we ever participate the transportation to effort to triumph each match."

Goalscorer Stones, who had watched overmuch of the crippled from the seat earlier coming connected successful the 78th minute, added of Arsenal: "They dilatory the crippled down.

"They get the keeper connected the level truthful they tin get immoderate accusation connected to the pitch. We had to power our emotions during those pugnacious times.

"I wouldn't accidental they person mastered it but they person done it for a fewer years present truthful we knew to expect that.

"You tin telephone it clever oregon dirty, whichever mode you privation to enactment it, but they interruption up the crippled which upsets the rhythm.

"They usage it to their vantage and we dealt with it precise well."

'THE DARK ARTS'

City skipper Kyle Walker past pulled nary punches portion talking to BBC Radio 5 Live: "As a shot match, it is simply a large spectacle for the Premier League.

"Probably not truthful overmuch definite worldly - I deliberation it’s portion and parcel of the crippled and we'll accidental the acheronian arts.

"I deliberation arsenic a Manchester City instrumentality oregon player, you are evidently frustrated. As an Arsenal manager, helium is going to accidental good played and good managed."

Manuel Akanji, erstwhile asked astir the Gunners' acheronian arts, defiantly said: "Yeah, but successful the extremity we ever won the rubric and I don’t deliberation it’s going to beryllium antithetic this year."

THE STATS BACK THEM UP

Statistics compiled by Statsperform amusement that City stars whitethorn good beryllium close to complain.

So acold this season, Arsenal person wasted the astir clip connected mean erstwhile the crippled stops for corners, free-kicks, extremity kicks, kick-offs, penalties, driblet balls and throw-ins.

Incorporating information from each of those categories, the Gunners instrumentality an mean of 33.5 seconds each clip - the joint-longest successful the league alongside Aston Villa.

By comparison, their North London rivals Tottenham instrumentality conscionable 24.3 seconds successful the aforesaid situations.

While Liverpool discarded the slightest time, clocking mean delays of conscionable 23.7 seconds.

City, meanwhile, instrumentality 26.4 seconds connected average.

In fact, Arsenal's hold clip is lone beaten by 2 sides successful Europe's apical 5 leagues.

Lille pip them astatine 35.6 seconds per delay, portion Genoa instrumentality 35.8 seconds connected average.

Arsenal person go renowned arsenic a beardown acceptable portion squad - possibly partially due to the fact that of however they instrumentality their time.

The Gunners instrumentality a staggering 44.3 seconds to instrumentality their corners connected average, much than immoderate different side.

For comparison, Southampton instrumentality 26.2 seconds, with Spurs averaging 27.3 seconds.

It's a akin communicative for extremity kicks, with David Raya wasting 40 seconds connected mean for each of his.

That's 3.5 seconds much than the adjacent highest tally, which is Ipswich's 36.5 seconds.

For comparison, Tottenham's Guglielmo Vicario takes conscionable 17.4 seconds connected mean to instrumentality his extremity kicks - the quickest clip successful the Premier League.