Arsenal have 'already moved on' from thrilling clash with Manchester City

Mikel Arteta says his team has “already moved on” from Sunday’s exhilarating top-of-the-table showdown against Manchester City, as the Gunners prepare to face Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

Sunday’s 2-2 draw at the Etihad was packed with drama and notable moments, including accusations against Arsenal for time-wasting tactics, Leonardo Trossard receiving a second yellow card for delaying the restart and the rising tension between the two sides.

That animosity led Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland to tell Arteta to “stay humble.” While the Norwegian striker also exchanged unpleasantries with Gabriel Jesus and threw the ball at the back of Gabriel's head after City’s late equaliser.

Despite the exhausting nature of the match, which saw Arsenal play over 50 minutes with ten men, Arteta insists his team are ready to go to battle again when they host Bolton at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow (Wednesday) evening.

"Yes, fully recovered,” responded Arteta in his press conference when asked about his team after facing the Premier League champions.

"I take it like a normal game - it was an emotional game, but they all are.

"I am looking forward to Wednesday. We have already moved on and are ready to battle again.”

While today’s press conference was primarily intended for questions about the Bolton game, it was no surprise that the majority focused on Sunday’s fixture.

The most pressing topic was Trossard’s red card, which came after the Belgian received a second yellow for kicking the ball away and delaying the restart just before half-time.

That was the second time this season the Gunners had been reduced to ten men for kicking the ball away, with Declan Rice receiving the same punishment against Brighton earlier this month.

These incidents, particularly Trossard’s, led Arteta to question the laws of the game, especially considering the time elapsed between the whistle and the ball being kicked away.

To further frustrate the Arsenal manager, Doku was not booked for a similar infraction during the first half on Sunday.

“That’s what I’m saying. It’s that obvious that it’s not necessary to comment on it,” said Arteta immediately after the game with Man City. “It’s the second time.

“I’m expecting 100 Premier League games this season to be 10 against 11, or 10 and against 10, or nine against 10 this season. Let’s see.”

With the dust now settled on that thrilling fixture, Arteta was asked once again about his thoughts on the sending off.

"I reflected post-match and it is the same reflection today,” he said.

He later added: "Leave the ball, don't touch the ball. We will play without the ball!"