Arsenal Manager Arteta Defends Tactics After Draw With Manchester City

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has strongly defended his tactical decisions following criticism from pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher, who accused him of employing overly cautious "handbrake tactics" after Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Manchester City. Arteta dismissed the criticism by highlighting Arsenal's statistical dominance during the match, noting it was unprecedented against Pep Guardiola's teams in 17 years and emphasizing that dominance and cautious play are contradictory. Despite benching key summer signing Eberechi Eze and fielding a defensive midfield trio, Arsenal managed to salvage a draw with a stoppage-time goal by Gabriel Martinelli, assisted by Eze. Arteta stressed that his decisions were based on player workload and tactical analysis, and he expressed surprise at the negative narrative surrounding his approach. The result extended Arteta's unbeaten record against Guardiola in Premier League matches, further validating his strategies. However, Arsenal also face injury concerns, with winger Noni Madueke expected to be sidelined for several weeks.