Arsenal not yet a match for Man. City-Liverpool rivalry, says Silva

Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva has hit out at Arsenal’s defensive tactics and claimed the rivalry between the clubs does not yet equal the clashes between the English champions and Liverpool in recent years.

Arsenal were seconds away from securing their first victory at the Etihad since 2015 on Sunday as John Stones’ 98th-minute equaliser salvaged a 2-2 draw for City.

The Gunners retreated after being reduced to 10 men by Leandro Trossard’s red card in first-half stoppage time.

Mikel Arteta’s men have finished second to City in the Premier League for the past two seasons.

But for much of Pep Guardiola’s time in charge of City, it was Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool who were consistently their title rivals.

Under Klopp, the Reds won the Premier League for the first time in 30 years in 2020 to add to their 2019 Champions League triumph.

“The difference? I don’t know. Maybe that Liverpool have already won a Premier League, Arsenal haven’t. That Liverpool have won a Champions League, Arsenal haven’t,” Silva told ESPN on the difference between the rivalries.

“Liverpool always faced us face-to-face to try to win the games. From this perspective, the games against Arsenal haven’t been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool.”

Arsenal had just 12.5 percent possession in the second half at the Etihad but frustrated City with a dogged defensive display as Guardiola’s men were often forced to resort to shots from outside the box.

Two Arsenal players, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz, became the first outfield players to fail to complete a single pass while playing at least 89 minutes of a Premier League match since records began in 2003.

Manuel Akanji and Stones were among other City players to speak out, referring to Arsenal’s “dark arts” as the visitors tried to waste time in the second half by going down to receive treatment.

“There was only one team that came to play football,” said Silva. “The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee.

“But at the end we got a draw, the best we could get considering the context of the last moments of the match.

“We’re not happy as we wanted the three points, but personally I’m happy with the way we came to play and faced the game. I’m glad we always enter the pitch to try to win every match.”

A draw was enough to keep Premier League leaders City two points ahead of Arsenal, who sit fourth after five games.