Chelsea manager Liam Rossenia was furious at Arsenal’s time-wasting tactics early in the first half.
Chelsea suffered a crushing 3-2 defeat in the League Cup semi-final first leg against Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
In a thrilling five-goal London derby, new Blues manager Liam Rosenior watched his side claw their way back to level, but was left “frustrated” by the visiting team’s tactics.
Liam Rosenior furious at Arsenal’s waste of time in League Cup thriller
While the scoreline suggested a close contest, the battle on the touchline was just as intense.
Reports from the dugout suggested that Rosenior was visibly upset during the match, particularly regarding Arsenal’s approach to managing the match.
Sky Sports News’ Gary Cotterill, pitchside at Stamford Bridge, said the Chelsea manager was in constant dialogue with officials about the Gunners’ pace of play.
Cotterill said: “Liam Rosenior is unhappy because he thinks Arsenal are wasting his time. He has made this point a number of times to the fourth official.
The frustration reportedly started surprisingly early in the contest, with Rosenior gesturing toward the clock long before the final whistle approached.
Cotterill added an interesting insight into the interaction between the manager and the technical area staff, saying: “If I’m lip-reading correctly, the response[from the fourth official]was ‘more time will be added, don’t worry’.”
Despite this belief, only one minute was added in the first half.
Mikel Arteta’s team are developing a reputation for the ‘dark arts’
This is not the first time Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal have been accused of mastering the “dark arts” of football.
Over the past few seasons, the Gunners have developed a reputation for wasting time, histrionics and diving.
From goalkeepers taking too long to take goal kicks, to players convulsing and collapsing at opportune moments, Arsenal have become experts at breaking up the flow of a match when they are holding a lead.
