Arsenal secure first Premier League win over Manchester City since 2015
Arsenal secured their first Premier League victory over Manchester City since December 2015 on Sunday, with Gabriel Martinelli coming off the bench to score a crucial winner.
Tempers flared after the final whistle when Arsenal’s set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, who used to work at City, appeared to approach Kyle Walker with an offer of a handshake. Erling Haaland was also involved in the minor bust-up, seen being held back by another member of City’s staff.
Pep Guardiola Refuses to Discuss Details Behind Spat
Pep Guardiola refused to discuss the details behind the spat in his post-match press conference, admitting he knew what sparked the confrontation without giving away any details. ‘I know what happened, but I don’t want to say anything,’ Guardiola said. ‘They [Arsenal] know it.’
Mikel Arteta meanwhile said he ‘hadn’t seen’ the incident.
Gary Neville and Theo Walcott React to Incident
Gary Neville joked when reviewing the incident on Sky Sports: ‘Football players don’t like set pieces full stop on the training pitch, let alone the opposition’s set piece coach having a go.’
Former Arsenal forward Theo Walcott meanwhile suggested ‘a nerve was hit’ after the City pair uncharacteristically lost their cool for a moment. ‘We always look at City as being very professional and not reacting in these situations and that’s where I feel a nerve has been hit here,’ Walcott said.
City Looking to Become First Team in History of English Football to Win Four Successive Titles
City have now lost their last three domestic games on the bounce having been eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Newcastle United and losing away to Wolves last weekend.
After last season’s Treble success, City are looking to become the first team in the history of English football to win four successive titles but Guardiola hopes Sunday’s setback can now work to ease the pressure on his side.
‘No team has ever won four in a row,’ Guardiola said. ‘Defeats can happen, but we are in October. Sometimes it is good going behind. It is not the first time going behind for the contenders. Last season we were much, much behind, but the season is long. It has happened. In Wolves it was a difficult game. Congratulations to Arsenal. We know exactly what we have to do and we do it. We recover people coming back, and try to break [the losing run] immediately as soon as possible against tough opponents like Brighton and [Manchester] United.’
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