Following Sunday’s goalless draw against Arsenal, Manuel Akanji has accused Arsenal of employing tactical fouls to impede Manchester City’s progress and expressed surprise at the referee leniency towards them.
The stalemate at the Etihad Stadium leaves Liverpool two points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the league, with third placed City trailing by a further point with nine matches remaining. Mikel Arteta’s side adopted a defensive approach with aggressive play, prompting Akanji to question the legality of their actions. When asked if he felt Arsenal resorted to illegal tactics, Akanji responded affirmatively, stating, “Definitely. When we got through sometimes they stopped us with the fouls. If there’s no action to it [from the referee], it’s hard.”
Akanji expressed his confusion regarding the referee’s decisions, particularly highlighting an incident involving Kai Havertz’s late tackle on Stefan Ortega in the first half, which he believed warranted a yellow card.
Despite the setback, Akanji remains optimistic about City’s prospects, affirming their determination to secure maximum points in the remaining fixtures. With nine Premier League games left and a Champions League quarter final against Real Madrid on the horizon, Akanji believes City still have a chance to achieve their goals.
Looking ahead to the upcoming match against Aston Villa, Akanji acknowledged the need for improvement and emphasized the importance of capitalizing on their home advantage. Reflecting on City’s previous loss to Villa, Akanji highlighted the team’s evolution since then and expressed confidence in their ability to secure a victory.
Akanji also welcomed the competition provided by substitutes Jérémy Doku and Jack Grealish, emphasizing their contributions to the team’s attacking options and expressing his support for healthy competition within the squad.
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