Unrepentant Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta refuses to accept blame for red cards – and says he would’ve been ‘very thick’ not to go ultra-defensive at Man City

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has refused to accept the blame for red cards after Leandro Trossard and Declan Rice’s dismissals in recent matches.

Trossard was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away when Arsenal led 2-1 against Man City on Sunday.

The Gunners were ultimately pegged back in second half stoppage time, with John Stones scoring an equaliser for the reigning Premier League champions.

Trossard’s dismissal came just weeks after Declan Rice was given his marching orders against Brighton, with the midfielder also shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away.

Arteta, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Carabao Cup tie against Bolton, was asked if he had reminded his players against kicking the ball away.

‘For passing the ball,’ Arteta responded.

He added: ‘Just leave the ball, don’t touch the ball. We play without he ball. 

Arteta also defended Arsenal’s defensive approach with 10-men at the Etihad Stadium, with the Gunners sitting deep in an attempt to preserve a 2-1 lead.

The Arsenal boss referred to their 5-0 defeat to Manchester City in 2021 when former captain Granit Xhaka was sent off as he defended their tactics.

‘Well, we had to play the game that we had to play,’ Arteta said. The first 15 minutes, we couldn’t. They played 30 seconds with 10 men. Look what they did. It’s normal what they did.

‘Unfortunately we’ve been in the same situation. We were in that same situation with Granit and when we lost 5-0. So we’d better learn. If not I would be very thick.’

In the second-half, Arsenal had just 12.5 per cent of the ball against Man City, completing just 35 passes in their opponent’s half – to the hosts’ 363.

Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz, remarkably, became the first Premier League to fail to complete a single one of their passes – after attempting only six and five of them respectively.

Arteta’s men also registered just one shot to Man City’s 28 in the second half, but nearly held out against their title rivals.

The Gunners have since been caught in a time-wasting storm as it emerged that teenager Myles Lewis-Skelly was cautioned for unsporting behaviour after appearing to relay a message to David Raya during Sunday’s frenetic draw at Manchester City.

Referee Michael Oliver booked Lewis-Skelly after the substitute trotted behind Raya’s goal line while warming up in the 65th minute as the Gunners led 2-1.

Oliver observed the 17-year-old communicating with Raya before the Arsenal goalkeeper fell to the floor and stopped proceedings – as seen in new footage obtained by Mail Sport.

Lewis-Skelly had returned to the group of substitutes on the main touchline by the time he received his yellow card – handed out before he had played a single minute of professional football.

Arteta used the ensuing break in play to deliver a team talk to nine of his outfield players as they looked to keep City at bay. Pep Guardiola’s side dramatically equalised in the 98th minute through John Stones and Arteta labelled his team’s 10-man defensive effort as a ‘miracle’.

The PGMOL confirmed that Lewis-Skelly’s caution was for ‘showing a lack of respect for the game’ under the unsporting behaviour element of the laws. Arsenal have been approached for comment.

Apparent gamesmanship deployed by Arsenal was the talk of the top flight last year, with coaching staff and analysts across the division openly discussing the ‘dark arts’ among themselves. Clubs have sent concerns about the issue to the PGMOL.

Former Arsenal defender Martin Keown, writing for Mail Sport, has defended the Gunners against claims they used ‘dark arts’ against Man City.

Keown insisted Arsenal deserve praise for how they restricted Man City’s opportunities after being reduced to 10-men.