The defender for Manchester City, Manuel Akanji, has voiced his displeasure with Arsenal after their 2-2 tie in a game that might have a big impact on the season.

Premier League winners City welcomed the Gunners to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday afternoon in a much-anticipated showdown that might decide who will win the title this year.

Following an ugly match that was full of controversy, both teams ended up with a 2-2 final score after City scored an equaliser in the eighth minute of injury time.

In the aftermath of the game, a number of Man City players criticised Arsenal’s strategies and the result. Akanji has now shared his thoughts on the performance of the London club.

“They are searching for that.” The 29-year-old said, “They always seek drama when we play against them,” following the match.

“They should be content with the single point because it worked for them.” We’re not; we tried to get a bigger quantity, but that’s all they’re willing to accept. In the end, we continue to lead the league. We have not yet experienced a loss. We tried our best, especially with one man advantage in the second half, but it’s hard to defend when you have ten men in their own half.
A fellow defender named John Stones, who gave City the crucial equaliser, charged Arsenal with using “clever and dirty” methods to wear out their opponents and throw off their rhythm during the game.

When asked if he agreed, Akanji said, “I don’t think there are many people who are more proficient than them.” Nonetheless, we have won before, and I believe that this year will be no different.

“We don’t focus too much on Arsenal, and it’s still early in the season, so I think we’re going to win the league again.”
The Swiss defender also chastised referee Michael Oliver, saying that he mishandled Arsenal’s attempts to waste time following Gabriel’s goal late in the first half.

“The time waste prevents us from handling this.” He declared that the choice must be made by the referee.
They want to upset the game in order to get that result. Since they were on the ground for every free kick and duel that was awarded, we had to defend ourselves. The players get up off the ground, run back, and then get back down.

“I mean, there’s not really anything we can do.” The referee is ultimately in charge of keeping everything under control throughout the duration of the season.