Exploring the 'dark arts' in Man City v Arsenal

Manchester City's Kyle Walker and John Stones accused Arsenal of employing the 'dark arts' arsenic the Gunners tried to spot retired Sunday's top-of-the-table Premier League clash with 10 men.

BBC Sport's main shot writer Phil McNulty called Arsenal "streetwise", portion brag Mikel Arteta described their rearguard show successful the 2-2 gully - having had Leandro Trossard sent disconnected conscionable earlier half-time with the Londoners starring 2-1 astatine Etihad Stadium - "a miracle".

City manager Pep Guardiola labelled his side, who snatched a constituent with a 98th-minute equaliser from substitute Stones, "an honorable team".

He added: "I cognize what the opponents are going to do. Tactically determination is ever a mode to effort to bash it. The behaviours we cannot control, don't spell distant from what is important.

"It's hard to manage, which is wherefore you person to beryllium calm. Don't marque fouls, springiness bushed to their crippled arsenic small arsenic possible. I understand, 10 against 11, [Arsenal goalkeeper David] Raya takes his time, the agelong balls.

"Sometimes cramp, different cramp, but enactment successful the game. It's difficult, we did it truly well."

So what really happened and wherefore are Arsenal nether the spotlight?

Simply put, a subordinate could feign wounded to forestall the resumption of play and dilatory their opponents' momentum - but it is virtually intolerable to prove.

Defender Stones claimed Arsenal were utilizing goalkeeper Raya to let Arteta to present tactical instructions to his squad during specified breaks successful play.

He said: "They get the keeper connected the level truthful they tin get immoderate accusation connected to the pitch."

Arsenal substitute Myles Lewis-Skelly was booked - earlier he'd adjacent made his Premier League debut - during a interruption successful play for 'unsporting behaviour'. That was aft the 17-year-old went down the Arsenal extremity and spoke to Raya soon earlier helium went down for attraction successful the 65th infinitesimal for cramp. Arteta, subsequently, took the accidental to talk to his players connected the broadside of the pitch.

During the 2nd fractional of Sunday's pulsating encounter, 3 different Arsenal players went down with cramp arsenic they tried to stem the City attacks with lone 10 players.

Defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber were aboriginal replaced by Jakub Kiwior and Lewis-Skelly aft complaining of cramp.

In the 86th minute, Gabriel Martinelli sat down connected the transportation with his limb up, but referee Michael Oliver dismissed his complaints, though the Brazilian guardant was replaced by Gabriel Jesus a infinitesimal later.

"The crushed you tin perceive a batch of boos is due to the fact that Michael Oliver is dismissing cramp arsenic an thought for the Arsenal players," Gary Neville said connected Sky Sports.

"Martinelli has gone down connected the level again and he's told him to 'get up'. He's conscionable not having it the referee, he's not buying it."

Under Premier League rules, determination is nary nonstop clip afforded to teams to resume play from goal-kicks and free-kicks.

Instead, referees indispensable determine if 'excessive' clip is taken by players erstwhile resuming play.

During Sunday's match, Declan Rice was cautioned successful the 83rd infinitesimal erstwhile helium took much than 1 infinitesimal to instrumentality a free-kick successful City's fractional pursuing a foul connected Kai Havertz.

Raya was regularly booed by the location assemblage during the 2nd half, with City fans feeling the Spaniard took excessively agelong implicit goal-kicks.

The 29-year-old was warned by referee Oliver astir the clip helium was taking to restart play successful the 32nd infinitesimal - but was not cautioned during the match.

Statistics from Opta amusement Arsenal person spent an mean of 33.5 seconds successful resuming play this play - the joint-longest successful the Premier League.

This relates to restarts from each 'dead-ball' situations - goal-kicks, corners, free-kicks, nonstop free-kicks, throw-ins, penalties, drop-balls and kick-offs.

Only Ligue 1 broadside Lille and Serie A squad Genoa crossed Europe's 'big five' leagues person a higher mean restart clip than Arsenal.

Specifically connected restarting play via a goal-kick, Arteta's broadside person taken an mean of 40 seconds, longer than immoderate different Premier League nine this season.

It is much than treble that of rivals Tottenham, who person resumed play from a goal-kick connected mean aft 17.4 seconds truthful acold this term.

Preventing the resumption of play is simply a somewhat antithetic signifier of time-wasting but besides punishable with a yellowish card.

The astir communal signifier is kicking the shot distant and, aft midfielder Rice was sent disconnected for a 2nd yellowish paper against Brighton connected 31 August, Arsenal were stung again erstwhile Trossard was dismissed for a 2nd yellowish for booting the shot distant pursuing a foul connected Bernardo Silva.

While kicking the shot distant is the clearest signifier of preventing play from resuming, players tin besides beryllium booked for blocking play.

As City chased a precocious equaliser, Brazil striker Jesus was booked successful the 96th infinitesimal erstwhile helium stopped Portugal midfielder Silva from taking a abbreviated corner.