Man City: Manuel Akanji describes frustration with Anthony Taylor as Arsenal tactic goes unpunished

Gunners committed 20 fouls at the Etihad yet were booked for none of them in title-clash draw

Manchester City defender Manuel Akanji was left baffled by some of the refereeing decisions during his side’s draw with Arsenal.

City were held to a 0-0 draw by Arsenal on Sunday, failing to score at the Etihad for the first time in 58 matches.

The Gunners kept City at bay by sitting deep and the hosts were frustrated by what they perceived to be persisting fouling by Mikel Arteta’s side.

Arsenal committed 20 fouls during the match, but they received just two yellow cards from Anthony Taylor - both for time-wasting - and their first booking did not come until the 67th minute.

“I don’t understand,” said Akanji. “One in the first half [from Kai Havertz] was a very late tackle on Stefan [Ortega]. 

“For me it is clearly a yellow card. I don’t want to say just against us. There were also some decisions against them that I didn’t understand what he gave a foul for.

“There are some rules and I think there are clear yellow cards where it should be. I remember the action with Jorginho when he’d already done a foul and did the second one, and he didn’t even give a yellow card for one foul. 

“I didn’t understand some decisions but, in the end, we still should be able to score a goal.

"When we got through sometimes they stopped us with their fouls and if there’s no action [from the referee], it’s hard.

“Obviously we wanted to win today and didn’t get the three points, but it’s still all open and all to play for [in the title race].”

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