Thomas Frank brutally criticises Man City vs Arsenal clash
Brentford manager Thomas Frank didn’t hold back in his assessment of Manchester City’s recent clash against Arsenal, describing it as a ‘boring‘ match that failed to live up to expectations.
The highly anticipated encounter between two Premier League heavyweights ended in a goalless draw, leaving fans and pundits alike disappointed.
Frank’s candid remarks came after a lacklustre display at the Etihad Stadium, where neither side managed to find the back of the net despite their attacking prowess.
“To be fair… not really.,” Frank stated when asked if he enjoyed the game.
“Of course, I looked forward to watching the game. [City and Arsenal are] two of the three best teams in the world, not only in the Premier League right now.”
‘It was boring’
The match, touted as one of the biggest of the season, turned out to be a damp squib in terms of entertainment value.
The game witnessed only three shots on target throughout the 90 minutes, highlighting the defensive resilience of both teams but also underscoring their struggles to create clear-cut scoring opportunities.
“So I watched it, but I think they cancelled each other out. Both Arteta and Pep [Guardiola], I admire hugely for the jobs they’re doing,” Frank said.
“Same style of play, same tweaks, same strategy. Honestly, it was boring in the end. But of course, world class players, they were on it, everyone, no doubt about that.”
All about defence
While Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta tried to put a positive spin on the match, labelling it as ‘thrilling,’ Frank’s assessment reflected the general sentiment of disappointment among football enthusiasts.
Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard and William Saliba shared their reflections post-match, recognizing the significance of securing a point against the reigning champions.
“We had to defend a lot, a bit more deep than we planned to. I feel like we were dangerous in certain moments on the counter when we managed to keep the ball for a little bit,” Odegaard stated.
“It’s hard when you’ve defended for a while and you get the ball and your legs are heavy, but we managed to take the ball, make a few passes and really counter.”
“I felt like we were dangerous,” he continued.
Saliba added, “No, we cannot be satisfied when we draw, but it’s ok, we learnt from some games when we cannot win, we don’t have to lose. That’s what we did, we did well. We leave with one point but we’re not satisfied.”
He also commended his defensive partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes, highlighting the collective team effort in containing City’s attacking threats.
While the City-Arsenal clash may have fallen short of expectations, the unpredictability and drama of the Premier League continue to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Arsenal’s next challenge will be against Lutton Town on Wednesday.
