Mikel Arteta has admitted he was “more than influenced” by Jose Mourinho and responded to accusations his side used “dark arts” during Arsenal’s tense 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
The Arsenal boss and his squad have come under fire after this weekend’s Premier League clash against reigning champions City.
A 98th-minute goal saved City a point, but much of the focus after the game was on how Arteta’s side played to try and hold on to victory while shorthanded after Leandro Trossard was sent off.
How Arteta did a ‘Mourinho’ against City
In a thrilling game, Arsenal were forced to play the entire second half with 10 men after Trossard was shown a second yellow card for time-wasting – a situation almost identical to Declan Rice’s sending off against Brighton.
Reduced to 10 men, Arteta parked the bus, using a classic Mourinho-style defensive strategy to contain Manchester City’s relentless attack.
?⚪️ Arteta: “I’m extremely proud of what we’ve done at the Etihad.”
“We show desire, we adapt to different ways of playing, it’s superb.”
“Happy? No, we wanted to win. But it was difficult, we had to manage all that and also the players who were absent… I’m proud.” pic.twitter.com/VoDYY22y1s
-Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 24, 2024
It almost worked, but a late stoppage-time equaliser from John Stones earned City a point. Despite the draw, Arsenal’s resilience in the second half earned them praise, and many couldn’t help but notice the Mourinho-style approach Arteta has adopted.
Asked if Mourinho influenced him, Arteta replied: “More than influence, I think you learn a lot from other great coaches and you try to understand why they were successful. But if it goes in a different direction, do you have the ability to adapt?”
Arteta denies ‘magical practices’ allegations
City defender Stones added some spice to the post-match discussions by accusing Arsenal of indulging in “dark arts”, a claim Arteta quickly dismissed.
Asked about this, the Gunners boss replied: “I always prefer facts to words or assumptions. Let’s see who’s available tomorrow and then we can talk about ‘black magic’ or that kind of thing.”
Arteta remained tight-lipped about potential injuries in his squad, but added: “We have to wait for one of them. Other factors will come into play. If a player is faking it, he will continue to play.”
Arsenal now turn their attention to a Carabao Cup tie against Bolton Wanderers on Wednesday, before hosting Leicester City this weekend.