Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva was photographed making a hand gesture taunting Arsenal’s lack of trophies under Mikel Arteta, during an explosive draw at the Etihad on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s side needed a 98th-minute equaliser from substitute John Stones to salvage a point against their title rivals in a match that is being hailed as a Premier League classic.
The hosts took the lead inside the first 10 minutes through Erling Haaland’s 10th Premier League goal of the season, before Arsenal came from behind to lead after goals from defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel.
However, the game was turned on its head when Leandro Trossard was sent off in first-half stoppage time. Mikel Arteta’s side then adopted the tactic of defending deep in an attempt to defy the odds and hold on to their lead, but they were foiled in the final seconds.
In the aftermath of Stones’ late goal, tempers flared between the two sides after a feisty affair, and Silva made a dig at the Arsenal stars by gesturing the number zero.
The Portuguese midfielder was referring to the fact that the Gunners are yet to win a Premier League under Arteta, despite coming close twice in the last two seasons.
Following the final whistle, Silva continued to aim digs at Arsenal as he criticised their siege mentality in Manchester.
“Well, perhaps because Liverpool has already won the Premier League and Arsenal hasn’t,” Silva told TNT Sports. “Liverpool at that time had also won a Champions League, while Arsenal hasn’t.
“Liverpool always faced us head-on, to win matches. From that perspective, our games against Arsenal haven’t been like the matches against Liverpool were, and still are.”
Silva was part of the City side that endured enthralling title battles with Liverpool for many years under Jurgen Klopp.
However, in 2022/2023, the Gunners became the champions’ closest challengers. The north London side led the Premier League for 248 days across the season before their defiance collapsed at the very end, allowing Guardiola’s side to triumph again.
City pipped their rivals to the title once more last year, by just two points, after a pulsating fight throughout the campaign which included Liverpool until the final few weeks.
Silva’s frustrations at Arteta’s strategy were not just directed at the Gunners’ second-half display but actually their mentality throughout the whole match.
“It all started in the very first second,” he continued. “In the first action we realised what was going to happen. We had a player [Rodri] injured after they sent him to the ground twice in 10 minutes.
“We had a goal conceded after the referee called our captain and then didn’t allow him to recover his position. The second goal is already their usual block to our keeper, which was allowed by the referee.
“Then the referee allowed a sequence of time-wasting events. The thing that bothers me the most is having a lot of meetings with the FA at the beginning of each season.
“They tell us they will control this kind of situation and will stop them, but in the end, it doesn’t have any worth. They say a lot but nothing happens!”
City have now failed to beat Arsenal in their last three Premier League encounters, drawing the past two at home.
And while Silva is not happy with the result, he came away from the Etihad on Sunday more than content with how he and his team-mates approached the game.
“There was only one team that came to play football. The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately.
“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.”
Daily Mail
