Arsenal managed to come away with a point from the Etihad Stadium last week - no mean feat given the imperious nature of Manchester City in the Premier League over the past six years.
However, the tactics deployed by Mikel Arteta in the second half on Sunday have divided opinion in the days after, with Arsenal essentially forfeiting possession for the entire second half. The backs-against-the-wall strategy nearly worked, with the Gunners defending a 2-1 lead right up until the very end of stoppage time, when John Stones would scramble home a dramatic equaliser for the hosts.
With Arsenal down to ten men after Leandro Trossard's first-half red card, it was undeniably a huge defensive effort from the Gunners. Nonetheless, the stats were damning at full-time.
The second half saw Arsenal complete just 29 passes and see only 12% of the ball, while they only mustered a single shot on goal after the break.
Roy Keane was one who believed that this was not a performance befitting of a prospective Premier League champion, accusing Arsenal of displaying a "small mentality" with their approach at the Etihad.
Keane said on the 'Stick to Football' podcast earlier this week:
If Tony Pulis, Sam Allardyce, Steve Bruce or Neil Warnock set up a team like that for the second half, they are ‘dinosaurs.'
When Arsenal do it, it’s called ‘brilliant’, it’s ‘concentration levels’. When they won the ball back, which they did every now and again, try and look after it and try and get up the pitch.
This is Arsenal we’re talking about, not a Championship team in the FA Cup, that’s hanging in there.
They were just booting it, like a small team with a small mentality.
Though there would be many who might sympathise with Roy Keane's somewhat old-fashioned take on the Arsenal approach at the Etihad, Damien Delaney has today called out the former Ireland captain for his remarks.
READ HERE: The League Of Ireland Run In: Crunching The Numbers With Everything Still All To Play For
READ HERE: Dutch Coach Says Bayern Munich Need To Consider Caoimhín Kelleher
Damien Delaney questions Roy Keane's criticism of Arsenal tactics
Damien Delaney appeared on Premier Sports' coverage of Arsenal v Leicester City on Saturday, and he dissected the fall-out to last week's dramatic title-chasing clash with Manchester City.
Roy Keane's line on Arsenal displaying a "small" mentality were put to Delaney by host Eoghan McDevitt, and the ex-Crystal Palace defender made his feelings of disbelief clear.
I don't agree with that, I can't believe that anybody would attempt defile that performance from Arsenal, I thought it was superb.
They went to the home of the champions with ten men and they dug in, they showed every attribute we've accused Arsenal of lacking over the last four or five years. They showed it in abundance.
You have to show it in the context of the game as well, that's what I think that quote [from Keane] lacked.
Arsenal were winning the game 2-1...possesion is nine tenths of the law, so they decided to sit in and soak up the pressure. As the game was evolving, the manager went, 'I fancy my team here, they've got the spirit.'
If the situation was different, say Arsenal were winning 1-0 and he did that, you'd think, 'That's defeatist' - you're accepting a 1-0 defeat. You don't want to get beat [by] five or six.
If Man City equalised, Arteta was capable of changing.
It may not be pretty, but it helped Arsenal to avoid defeat with only ten men at the four-times back-to-back English champions. All things considered, Mikel Arteta will likely be happy with that outcome.
If Arsenal continue to display ultra-defensive tactics in big games, it is unlikely to win over Roy Keane. It could just win them the league, though.
