Manchester City expert Steven McInerney from Esteemed Kompany understands why Bernardo Silva has criticised Arsenal's cautious approach to Sunday's 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium and has questioned whether they can win the Premier League title playing the same way against other top teams in the division.
The Citizens were trailing 2-1 at the interval, but the Gunners had been reduced to 10 after Leandro Trossard was dismissed for two bookable offences, resulting in Mikel Arteta switching to a five-man defence and the hosts dominating the second half with 78.5% possession.
Arteta's side continuously used time-wasting tactics in an attempt to kill City's rhythm and run down the clock, an approach which has drawn criticism from the likes of Bernardo, but Pep Guardiola's men eventually snatched a point thanks to John Stones's 98th-minute equaliser.
Bernardo has not only criticised the officials for "allowing a sequence of time-wasting events", he has also slammed Arsenal's negative methods and 'anti-football' set-up in the second half.
"There was only one team that came to play football," Bernardo told reporters after the game. "The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately. But at the end we got a draw, the best we could get considering the context of the last moments of the match.
"We're not happy as we wanted the three points, but personally I'm happy with the way we came to play and faced the game. I'm glad we always enter the pitch to try to win every match."
Bernardo has also compared Man City's rivalry with Arsenal to the rivalry that they had with Liverpool under their former boss Jurgen Klopp, suggesting that Liverpool always entered every contest against the Citizens with the desire to win, helped by their mentality developed from celebrating Premier League and Champions League success.
"Perhaps because Liverpool has already won the Premier League and Arsenal haven't. Liverpool at that time had also won a Champions League while Arsenal haven't," the Portuguese added.
"Liverpool always faced us head-on, to win matches. From that perspective, our games against Arsenal haven't been like the matches against Liverpool were, and still are".
McInerney understands why Bernardo as a "winner" - a key cog in Guardiola's machine for the last seven years who has won 17 trophies with the Citizens - has called out Arsenal's tactics and feels rightly aggrieved.
McInerney: 'Bernardo's jibe at Arsenal is music to my ears'
Speaking exclusively to Sports Mole, McInerney said: "Bernardo, in my opinion, is a wonderfully sour loser. I know we didn't lose, but I love that he views the game like a football fan.
"The reason people like Bernardo and Rodri come out and say things like this is because they're winners. They absolutely know what it takes, and they do not like to lose. When you've got quotes like Guardiola saying: 'These players keep going again and again' and finding a way to win, despite being absolutely drenched in success. That's why, that is a hint of their mentality.
"I understand why rival fans wouldn't like those quotes, but as a City fan, hearing that, or reading that, it's absolutely music to my ears, because that's a person who gets it.
"I think [Bernardo has] got a point to an extent... Arsenal do sit back, and I know they've got good results against us, but they haven't been dramatic, resounding successes, let's be honest.
"They've come often with key players sitting off the pitch or [they play out] scrappy, tight games. I do feel that Liverpool had a lot more self-belief as one of the major teams in world football (when playing against Man City). Champions League winners. They also won the Premier League.
'Man City are still a team to be feared'
"I understand Arsenal have won the league (last doing so in 2003-04), but I'm not sure [William] Saliba can relate to Thierry Henry winning the league - he was still in nappies, he has no idea what that success feels like because he hasn't experienced it himself for Arsenal. I think that's a fair comment.
"It could genuinely be true that Arsenal will feel they have to be cautious, until they are "that guy", so to speak. Right now Manchester City are. They are a team to be feared.
"Fair play to Arsenal. I do think they've made considerable improvements and every time they get result against City, their mentality will improve, but I don't feel they'll ever come out as aggressively until they probably win the league."
Can Arsenal's cautious approach win them the PL title?
McInerney has discussed whether Arsenal can finish above Man City and win their first Premier League title for more than 20 years with a cautious approach in their remaining games against the top teams in the division, or whether they should take a similar approach to Liverpool under Klopp and push for a victory in potential title-deciding matches.
"I would feel it's going to have to happen at some point (Arsenal pushing teams to win rather than sitting back)," said McInerney. "They're good enough to get through and beat the lesser-quality teams in the league and then they scrape points against the likes of City, and with that they could be fine.
"You never know, because all it takes is for City to have an off season and that's enough. I do feel that you usually need a statement win.
McInerney: 'Arsenal yet to celebrate an era-defining win'
"I remember when City under Guardiola in the 2017-18 season went away to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, who were reigning champions at the time, and [Kevin] De Bruyne scored a screamer and we beat them 1-0. We were absolutely fantastic, we were brilliant that day and that was our statement of power and intent. City have bullied the Premier League ever since then.
"I do feel games like that just draw a line in the sand and it becomes your era, your moment. I think you'd have to have an Arsenal crest on your chest to say that's happened, but I don't think it has happened yet. I don't think Arsenal have had an era-defining win.
"Even when they beat us last season, they weren't brilliant. It was scrappy, City looked underwhelming, it was hardly a convincing win. There's nothing wrong with that, but I'm saying I don't think even Arsenal fans fully believe that they have gone above City yet.
"Usually the big win allows that mentality shift to happen. It doesn't need to happen to win the league, because there are only two games of the entire season that you play the champions...I would say that the balance of power hasn't shifted, and I'd be very surprised if that game is enough to make it feel that way."
Man City's draw with Arsenal on Sunday means that they have returned to the top of the Premier League table, two points clear of the Gunners in fourth, who have now dropped points in two of their opening five games this season.
Guardiola's side will not play Arsenal in the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium until February 1 of next year, while they are next in action in the EFL Cup against Championship outfit Watford on Tuesday night.
As for Arteta and co, they will come up against third-tier outfit Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, before welcoming Leicester City to the Emirates Stadium for a Premier League clash on Saturday. body check tags ::
