Parlour rubbishes claims Arsenal were too negative in Manchester City draw
Ray Parlour has rubbished claims that Arsenal showed a weak mentality by celebrating their 1-1 draw with Premier League rivals Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday.
The Gunners struck late through Gabriel Martinelli to snatch a point, cancelling out Erling Haaland's first-half finish, but faced criticism from some pundits and fans for appearing too content with the result.
However, speaking exclusively to Odds Now on behalf of NetBet Online Casino, Gunners legend Parlour insisted the home side's approach was completely justified.
"I don’t agree with that [reaction]," the former England midfielder said. "It was a hard game and Arsenal needed to fight hard to get back into it, as City defended well and were always a danger on the counter attack.
“It took until injury time for Arsenal to score and they still created one more chance after that, where they could have nicked the win.
"But there was only a couple of minutes left in injury time and they couldn’t create that clear chance to get the winner.
“Scoring so late, it was so important to at least come away with a point as they worked hard for it. Imagine if they'd thrown it away?
"It was a brilliant Gabriel Martinelli goal and it looked so simple in the end with a smart ball over the top from Eberechi Eze.”
Parlour also turned the spotlight on Pep Guardiola’s tactics, suggesting the Manchester City boss’ decision to sit deeper than usual was a compliment to Arsenal’s growth under Mikel Arteta.
Parlour explained: "City lost 5-1 in North London last season and he [Guardiola] wouldn’t have wanted that to happen again.
"They started well and did look dangerous on the counter attack throughout. Haaland was sharp and Jeremy Doku caused Arsenal a few problems on the wing.
"As the game goes on and you have a 1-0 away lead, and with the game they played a day later than Arsenal in the Champions League, he obviously felt the best approach was to sit deep and play on the counter attack.
"I have seen Pep acknowledge Arsenal’s improvement before this, too. So yes, it’s a massive sign of respect that they played this way, and they were a few minutes away from a 1-0 win – so you can’t really fault him for it either."
The result leaves Arsenal three points ahead of City in the Premier League table after five games – though they do trail reigning champions Liverpool by five points following the Reds' perfect start.
For Parlour, the character shown to rescue a point should be seen as a positive sign, not a negative.
"They worked hard for that point," he added. “And against a team like Manchester City, that could be so important come the end of the season.
"There's still a long way to go and it's far too early to talk about Liverpool pulling away. Let's see what the next few weeks bring!"
Arsenal face a tricky trip to Newcastle on Sunday in the next Premier League clash, with Liverpool also on the road on Saturday when they visit Crystal Palace.
Manchester City will be hoping for slip-ups to allow them to narrow the gap – Guardiola's men taking on Burnley at the Etihad in what looks a very winnable contest.
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
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