Manchester City defender Ruben Dias reflected on his side’s gritty 1-1 draw with Arsenal at the Emirates, just days after an emotional week that saw them win the Manchester derby and sweep aside Napoli 2-0 in the Champions League, Softfootball reports.
City got off to the perfect start when Erling Haaland struck inside the opening ten minutes, and Pep Guardiola’s men defended resolutely for most of the contest. But with stoppage time looming, Gabriel Martinelli’s late equaliser denied them all three points and left the travelling fans frustrated.
Speaking after the game to the press via the team’s official website,Dias admitted the result stung but stressed the importance of learning from these moments, he said:
Well it’s one point more on the road,
[It’s] frustrating of course, we were very close to getting the three points. Even though it was not the most common game for us in terms of possession, I felt like the team was there, the team was very present, the team wanted to win. We played to win, and in moments when we had to suffer, we embraced it and we faced forward.
Despite Arsenal controlling much of the ball, Dias insisted City never lost their grip on the contest, he stated:
Even though they had a lot of the ball, I felt like we were very much in control, we were very solid. Of course, they got that goal in the end and it’s frustrating for us, but it’s more to learn from.
The Portuguese defender also reflected on the demanding week City had faced, praising the collective effort of the squad to maintain such high standards across three huge games, he said:
I feel like in the beginning of the week nobody would have thought we would be at this level, performing at this level in all the three games we played. Because of that, and the spirit I now feel in the team, I think this was a big victory.
City’s official X handle shared the highlights of the game, to its fans all over the world despite the late setback in London, see video below;
With a busy run of fixtures ahead, Dias stressed the need for focus and consistency, he said:
Football is about moments. Of course we wanted the win today, but it’s important to keep perspective. We’ve had a big week and shown our level, now the challenge is to keep pushing. Every game matters.
For City, the draw keeps them firmly in the early title race, and with players like Dias leading from the back, the Cityzens look ready to embrace every challenge that comes their way.
