Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva appeared to mock rival Arsenal players over their lack of trophies – before taking aim at the Gunners’ tactics during the fiery 2-2 draw in the Premier League on Sunday.
Silva accused Arsenal of “dark arts” and said Mikel Arteta’s side wasted time as they held on with 10 men after Leandro Trossard was sent off on the stroke of half time. City equalised through John Stones in the 98th minute.
Afterwards, both teams clashed in the middle of the pitch with Silva appearing to taunt Arsenal’s lack of trophies by forming a ‘0’ with his thumb and forefinger and holding it towards defender Gabriel.
In a post-match interview, Silva said the difference between Manchester City’s rivalry with Arsenal and their rivalry with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool was down to trophies and that the Gunners had yet to win them.
“Maybe that Liverpool have already won a Premier League, Arsenal haven’t. That Liverpool have won a Champions League, Arsenal haven’t,” Silva said.
“Liverpool always faced us face to face to try to win the games, so by this perspective the games against Arsenal haven’t been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool. So yes, maybe a different rivalry.”
Silva also criticised Arsenal’s tactics and said there was only “one team” that tried to play football in the meeting of last season’s title rivals. City’s draw ensured they maintained their two-point lead after five games of the season.
“There was only one team that came to play football,” Silva said. “The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately.
“It all started in the very first second. 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 allowed by the referee. And 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 at the end it doesn’t have any worth. They say a lot but nothing happens.”