Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped the praise on his side following their 0-0 draw with Manchester City on Sunday. Both sides struggled to create any true clear-cut openings in the match, much to the relief of Liverpool.
The stakes were already high heading into the match, but the pressure intensified even further ahead of the clash between the two title-challenging sides when Liverpool came from behind to secure a 2-1 win over Brighton in the early kick off on Sunday.
However, neither side were able to peg Jurgen Klopp’s side back at the Etihad Stadium. In a chess-like encounter, both Arsenal and City were reluctant to leave themselves vulnerable by taking risks in possessions – leading to an underwhelming encounter for neutrals.
Arteta was impressed by the performance though, stressing how it was important for his side to be physical and ‘aggressive’ against Pep Guardiola’s side. He told Match of the Day: “A really competitive match as you can imagine. We made another big step today. They have the capacity to change formations to get you in deep in many moments. They are very physical but I think we coped with that very well.
“I think we had the best situations. We were really aggressive at times and getting the ball into great areas. The way we competed individually and as a team was phenomenal. Individually you have to be at your best.
“I think it is 2021 since they hadn’t scored a goal here at the Etihad. It was a really tough test for us today. We wanted to win but when you cannot win you must not lose.”
