Afrigather Manuel Akanji has accused Arsenal of utilizing fouls to cease Manchester Metropolis in Sunday’s goalless draw and questioned why the referee, Anthony Taylor, didn’t penalise them extra usually.
The outcome on the Etihad leaves Liverpool two factors forward of Arsenal on the prime of the league and third-placed Metropolis an additional level again with 9 matches remaining. Mikel Arteta’s facet defended in a low block and with aggression and, requested if he felt that they had usually completed so illegally, Akanji mentioned: “Undoubtedly. After we bought by way of typically they stopped us with the fouls. If there’s no motion to it [from the referee], it’s onerous.”
Akanji puzzled why Taylor didn’t step in. “I don’t perceive. One within the first half was a really late sort out on Stefan [Ortega],” he mentioned, referring to a problem on Metropolis’s goalkeeper by Kai Havertz. “For me it’s clearly a yellow card. I don’t need to say simply towards us. There have been additionally some selections towards them that I didn’t perceive why he gave a foul.
“There are some guidelines and I feel there are clear yellow playing cards the place it ought to be. I keep in mind with Jorginho when he’d already completed a sort out [which was a foul] and did the second and he didn’t even give a yellow card for one [foul]. I didn’t perceive among the selections however, in the long run, we nonetheless ought to be capable to rating a purpose.”
Metropolis’s intention of a file fourth successive title is out of their fingers however the Switzerland worldwide stays certain they’ll obtain it. “What number of video games do we’ve got left? 9, so yeah 27 factors to get. That’s our purpose to get all of them after which we’ll see the way it ends,” he mentioned. “I’m assured. Clearly we wished to win and didn’t get the three factors however it’s nonetheless all open and to play for. 9 video games within the Premier League, we’ve bought a quarter-final within the Champions League towards Actual Madrid subsequent week. We’re nonetheless in [the FA Cup]. [We can] win all of them and hopefully we’ll try this.”
Aston Villa go to on Wednesday and are the final crew to defeat Metropolis, with a 1-0 win at Villa Park on 6 December.
Akanji mentioned: “A whole lot of time has handed [since that defeat]. We’re in a unique place, Aston Villa are in a unique place. We’re making an attempt to do our greatest. We play at dwelling now. I feel like a lot of the groups we play otherwise at dwelling than we play away. Hopefully we are able to have a dominant recreation and never just like the one we had there as a result of Villa deserved to win. We didn’t play a superb recreation. Hopefully we are able to change it and enhance on the issues we didn’t do properly right now and get the three factors.”
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Jérémy Doku and Jack Grealish impressed for Metropolis when approaching as substitutes and Akanji welcomed the competitors they provide in assault. “In the long run it’s not my choice who performs up entrance,” he mentioned. “They’re all giving their finest to try to play within the subsequent recreation when we’ve got to point out our greatest and hopefully win.”
