Arsenal manager points to ‘dominance’ in possession
Noni Madueke faces two months out with knee injury
Mikel Arteta has rejected criticism that Arsenal played with the handbrake on in the draw against Manchester City on Sunday and insisted that he has been surprised by the negative reaction to their approach.
A late equaliser from Gabriel Martinelli rescued a point at the Emirates Stadium after Erling Haaland’s opener despite Arsenal dominating possession, with City recording just 33.2% – the lowest registered by a team managed by Pep Guardiola in more than 600 league matches.
Arteta was criticised by the Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher for his decision not to select Eberechi Eze from the start and opting for the more defensive-minded Mikel Merino in a three-man midfield. While the Arsenal manager insisted he had not heard their criticism, Arteta was adamant that his team put in a positive performance against City despite slipping five points behind the early leaders Liverpool.
