In recent years, Arsenal has found it difficult to secure vital Premier League points against Manchester City till their latest encounter on Sunday. In fact, Arsenal’s last league point against City was in 2017 and the last time they secured a win was 2015. As a matter of fact, if Man City had won the Sunday match, they would have recorded the highest consecutive wins over a single club.
In a match of such significance, emotions and frustrations can run high, particularly in the losing team, leading to outbursts and heated exchanges, as was witnessed after Sunday’s game that saw big names including Erling Haaland indulge in the altercation.
What happened between Mikel Arteta and Erling Haaland and Kyle Walker?
Arsenal’s victory over City blew the title race wide open for them. It was indeed a statement win as Gabriel Martinelli’s late strike found the back of the net, though with a deflection from Nathan Ake’s head.
After Man City’s defeat on Sunday, there was a burst of emotions and rage close to the technical area. Arsenal’s set-piece coach, Nicolas Jover, who previously worked at Manchester City, approached Kyle Walker from the opposing team. Jover extended his hand in a gesture of sportsmanship and goodwill.
The City captain expressed his anger during this encounter because Nicolas Jover had declined to shake hands with his former colleagues at Manchester City following both Premier League matches against Arsenal in the previous season.
Erling Haaland was prominently involved in the altercation, which involved players and staff from both teams. The situation escalated before eventually being diffused, and recent footage has shed light on the exact origins of the incident.
Kyle Walker explaining the reason behind his hostility towards Jover, the former Man City official now working for Arsenal, stated that on their previous enocunters, especially after a Man City win, Jover never honoured Man City players’ hand shakes. Hence, it was unacceptable since Jova was keen on the handshake only after Arsenal’s win.
Pep Guardiola, in response to what happened stated that “I know what happened, but I don’t want to say anything,” Guardiola said. “They [Arsenal] know it.”
Arsenal scored first EPL home win over Man City since 2012
While it was undeniably the most anticipated fixture of the weekend, the initial moments of the match didn’t quite live up to the hype. Both teams faced difficulties finding their rhythm, and the game quickly turned into a defensive struggle.
Ultimately, it was Martinelli who made the difference, with a bit of deflection from City’s Ake, leading to a decisive moment late in the match, in the 87th minute.
Arsenal had a shaky start to the game and could have found themselves trailing within the first five minutes. However, they managed to clear a Josko Gvardiol shot off the line, and Ake missed a close-range opportunity by sending the ball over the crossbar.
Prior to this recent victory, Arsenal’s last league points against Manchester City dated back to 2017, and their last win against City in the Premier League was in 2015. In fact, had Arsenal been defeated on Sunday, Manchester City would have equaled the Premier League record for the most consecutive victories against a single club, highlighting the one-sided nature of this rivalry in recent years.
However, this victory marked a historic moment for Arsenal, as they not only secured a rare win over Manchester City but also achieved their first Premier League home victory against City since 2012.
