Sports

Breaking down every single Man City vs Arsenal dark arts moment

Published

1 year ago

September 23, 2024

Breaking down every single Man City vs Arsenal dark arts moment

It was a meeting of the Premier League’s two best teams, a battle of tactical masters, a clash of technical brilliance and pure drama.

Manchester City versus Arsenal just five games into the season lived up to its billing in many of the conventional ways and served up a memorable ending.

Yet it also proved that no heavyweight contest cannot be enhanced by a bit of s***housing (or, to be more precise, a whole lot of s***housing).

There was plenty of time for it. The match lasted 109 minutes and 17 seconds, which surpassed the previous day’s 109-minute, eight-second epic between Aston Villa and Wolves as the longest game of the season so far.

And despite some valiant timewasting efforts (more of that later), the ball was in play for 63 minutes and 28 seconds overall — the fifth-longest total in a game so far this season — and 58.1 per cent of the available time, which compared favourably to the 56.8 per cent average for the season so far.

But with City having almost 88 per cent of possession in the second half, Arsenal’s 10 men had to employ every trick they knew to withstand the barrage.

So forget for a moment the nuances of formations and the analysis of sublime skill. Here is a breakdown of the dark arts.

“Set the tone early, lads.” “Yeah, maybe not quite like that.”

It took just three seconds from kick-off for Arsenal’s Kai Havertz to barge Rodri to the ground as City shifted the ball back to goalkeeper Ederson and Rodri tried to block Havertz’s route towards the City goal.

Medics were on the field and straight away there were players in the ear of referee Michael Oliver, who was probably already wondering why he’d agreed to miss a Sunday afternoon on the couch for this.

VAR checked this incident and, while it could have merited a foul on the pitch, it did not merit an intervention — which would only happen in the event of a red card incident.

“Our striker’s bigger than yours.” Havertz is hardly a slight figure, but you would not want to get in the way of Erling Haaland in full flight.

Well, William Saliba did on four minutes as, to use the old-school vernacular, the Norwegian “left a bit on” the Frenchman. The result, predictably, was Saliba being flattened, although he dusted himself down admirably quickly.

Like Havertz on Rodri, this was also checked by VAR.

Just when a game of football was threatening to break out, the games of shoving returned in the 16th minute when ‘take one’ of a Manchester City corner was aborted after Thomas Partey followed Havertz’s lead by clattering Rodri off the ball, this time with a knee to the upper part of the Spaniard’s leg.

It all happened while City’s Manuel Akanji and Arsenal’s Jurrien Timber engaged in a spot of Greco-Roman wrestling a few yards away. A rare moment of double-dark-arts — and one with serious consequences, as Rodri was forced off with an injury.

Six minutes later, it was Oliver’s effort to put a lid on things that raised the temperature to a new level.

After calling captains Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka together for a chat about controlling their team-mates, Oliver allowed Arsenal to take a quick free kick while Walker was still regaining his bearings. Gabriel Martinelli’s cross was cleared as far as Riccardo Calafiori and the Italian bent a shot into the top corner.

Needless to say, Walker was not happy. Neither was City manager Pep Guardiola, as his seat in the home dugout would confirm.

If Walker could claim the award for the afternoon’s most aggrieved man, he could add the one for the most hapless proponent of the dark arts.

His weird poking of Arsenal defender Gabriel as they awaited the delivery of a corner in first-half stoppage time might have been quite funny had the Brazilian defender not drifted easily away from the England man to leap and head home his side’s second goal at the far post.

Got him, got him, got him…

… yeah, lost him.

Not to be outdone, Leandro Trossard seemed to be out to prove he could be bad at s***housing too. Even deeper into first-half stoppage time, he was penalised for a foul but continued by booting the ball away. He would claim the whistle came too late to stop himself from acting on instinct.

Oliver disagreed and out came a yellow card. It was Trossard’s second of the half and a red immediately followed.

#MCIARS 45+7′
The referee issued a second yellow card to Leandro Trossard for delaying the restart.
— Premier League Match Centre (@PLMatchCentre) September 22, 2024

There was a period of dark-arts calm at the start of the second half as Arsenal’s 10 men held on for grim life in the face of waves of City pressure, but 19 minutes after the restart, the war of tricks resumed as Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya went down requiring treatment.

It is possible the Spaniard was in genuine pain, but the ensuing stoppage allowed visiting manager Mikel Arteta time to conduct an impromptu team talk.

To add to the madness, Arsenal youngster Myles Lewis-Skelly was booked for unsporting behaviour — he ran down the touchline and behind the goal. At the time, he was a substitute, having not played in the Premier League before — thereby collecting his first yellow before his first appearance. Lewis-Skelly made his Premier League debut later in the game.

And the delay was in keeping with the general approach of Arsenal, who took 42.7 seconds on average to restart the game after being awarded either a corner, goal kick, free kick or throw-in, the second highest of any team in any game this season.

By the 83rd minute, Arsenal were trying whatever they could to eat away precious seconds with Declan Rice booked for delaying a restart before, two minutes later, Martinelli went down in the centre of the pitch. He had limped on with cramp in less pivotal parts of the field.

And just to prove that anything Martinelli could do, Timber could do better, Arsenal then sent medics running on to the field to treat the Dutchman, despite goalkeeper Raya’s kick-for-touch failing to make it off the field, leaving Oliver having to bring play to a halt as City attempted to start an attack.

Timber was helped to his feet after initially going down in front of goal.

He limped away signalling to the sidelines for a substitute.

Having seen Timber fall again, a medic prepared to enter the field once Raya had hooked the ball out.

And, when Raya failed to find touch, the medic ran on anyway.

Martinelli was eventually replaced by countryman Gabriel Jesus, who proceeded to get involved in some skulduggery almost immediately by picking up a booking for blocking a corner from a yard while lying on the floor.

And then, in the aftermath of John Stones’ dramatic City equaliser eight minutes into stoppage time, City apparently could not resist the urge to turn the tables of chicanery. Guardiola and one of his coaches were booked for breaching regulations on behaviour in the technical area.

Haaland recovered the ball from the net and pinged it off the head of an unsuspecting Gabriel as the Arsenal defender hid his face in his shirt.

Just to ensure Gabriel was really angry, Haaland recreated Havertz’s earlier barge on Rodri when the game restarted. Both of Haaland’s incidents would have been checked by the VAR.

And Haaland continued the theatre after the final whistle in a seemingly needless and yet oddly entertaining clash with Arteta in which the Arsenal boss seemed as baffled as viewers to be told repeatedly to “stay humble”, which all went to show that there is no contest between two heavyweight teams that cannot be enhanced by a bit of random aggro.

“Stay humble” Haaland is wild for saying this to Arteta 😳 pic.twitter.com/XkU4oCg3Sr
— Football Hub (@FootbalIhub) September 23, 2024

(Top photo: Getty Images)

Related Topics:Arsenal Featured Manchester City premier league

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Sports

Titans star Jeffery Simmons calls burglars ‘f—ing cowards’ after home break-in during game vs 49ers

Published

9 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Titans star Jeffery Simmons calls burglars ‘f—ing cowards’ after home break-in during game vs 49ers

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Tennessee Titans star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons ripped into those who burglarized his home while he played against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.

There were “at least six suspects” who burglarized Simmons’ Nashville home, which came shortly after 7 p.m., the Metro Nashville Police Department told ESPN.

That was the exact time frame the Titans were facing the 49ers in the Bay Area.

Jeffery Simmons of the Tennessee Titans looks on during halftime against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Nissan Stadium on Nov. 30, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Jeff Dean/Getty Images)

“What if any of my family members was in my house??” Simmons wrote on social media while showing security camera footage of the burglars trying to enter his home. “All that materialistic s—- you can have but this is crazy!”

Simmons also called the burglars “f—ing cowards,” though he was complimentary of the Metro Nashville PD.

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“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the Metro Nashville Police Department and the Titans’ security team for their professionalism and swift response,” Simmons said in a statement. “Their dedication to ensuring the safety of our entire Nashville community does not go unnoticed. I remain thankful for God’s protection and grace.”

The suspects were said to have gained entry to Simmons’ home “after smashing out window glass,” while “multiple items were taken” in the process.

It’s unclear exactly what was taken from Simmons’ home.

Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) reacts after sacking Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders (not pictured) during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field on Dec. 7, 2025. (Scott Galvin/Imagn Images)

Meanwhile, Simmons was able to find the end zone despite the loss to the 49ers, so a good personal performance came to a screeching halt once he found out the news.

But unfortunately, Simmons isn’t the only NFL star who has been burglarized while playing a game.

Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce had it happen last season, as did Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow. All of those burglaries were in connection with a South American theft group that was specifically targeting NFL and NBA players.

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Cleveland Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders also saw $200,000 worth of property taken from his residence while they were playing the Baltimore Ravens earlier this season.

The Titans’ security team said it is “actively working” with local police to recover the stolen items.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Sports

High school basketball: Monday’s scores

Published

10 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

MONDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

AMIT 43, Valley Oaks CES 25

Arleta 70, Monroe 59

Bell 52, South East 34

Bravo 83, View Park 82

CALS Early College 36, Magnolia Science Academy 20

Contreras 86, Belmont 15

Downtown Magnets 65, Lincoln 61

East College Prep 51, Brio College Prep 38

East Valley 46, Van Nuys 31

Fulton 63, Lakeview Charter 20

Garfield 48, South Gate 34

Granada Hills Kennedy 68, Reseda 23

LA Roosevelt 60, Legacy 47

Locke 59, Animo Watts 56

Orthopaedic 69, Annenberg 44

RFK Community 58, Mendez 49

Sun Valley Poly73, North Hollywood 58

Triumph Charter 69, LA Marshall 59

Vaughn 73, Panorama 58

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 82, PAL Academy 54

Alta Loma 48, Diamond Ranch 41

Anaheim 70, Magnolia 27

Arroyo 71, El Monte 28

Bell Gardens 68, Glenn 39

Bonita 60, San Dimas 56

Chaparral 76, California 71

Colton 83, Desert Hot Springs 67

Costa Mesa 75, Savanna 68

Crossroads Christian 39, Grove School 28

Desert Christian 67, Lancaster Baptist 54

Eastside 71, Quartz Hill 64

El Rancho 66, Duarte 30

Elsinore 58, Great Oak 55

Gabrielino 51, Rosemead 46

Highland 53, Antelope Valley 34

Hillcrest 68, Indian Springs 61

Knight 86, Lancaster 32

Lakeside 54, Patriot 42

Liberty 67, Beaumont 64

Magnolia Science Academy 55, Legacy College Prep 31

Malibu 69, Nordhoff 34

Mary Star of the Sea 64, Chadwick 60

Mesa Grande Academy 85, RSCSM 30

Mesrobian 47, New Covenant Academy 44

Montclair 84, Rim of the World 45

Moreno Valley 53, Vista del Lago 44

Ontario 68, La Sierra 27

Orange 59, Pasadena Marshall 37

Paloma Valley 56, San Jacinto 48

Pasadena 80, Burbank 53

Placentia Valencia 60, Santa Ana 32

Perris 81, Heritage 45

Redlands 46, Banning 41

Rialto 65, Norco 64

Riverside King 57, Riverside Poly 55

Santa Maria 86, Valley Christian Academy 69

Serrano 48, Arroyo Valley 37

Sherman Indian 59, California Lutheran 53

Summit 73, Yucaipa 56

Thousand Oaks 72, Simi Valley 40

Valley Torah 100, St. Monica Academy 68

Valley View 75, Jurupa Valley 45

Vasquez 98, PACS 40

Viewpoint 60, Hillcrest Christian 37

Westlake 51, Oak Park 37

Whitney 69, Godinez 63

Woodbridge 69, El Toro 48

INTERSECTIONAL

Compton 74, Crenshaw 53

Gahr 76, Rancho Dominguez 52

Marquez 65, Whittier 30

New Roads 47, Animo Venice 28

San Gabriel 66, Sotomayor 39

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Animo Robinson 37, Smidt Tech 33

Animo Watts 55, Locke 29

Brio College Prep 24, East College Prep 20

Contreras 42, Belmont 4

Crenshaw 41, Torres 16

Granada Hills Kennedy 67, Reseda 15

Grant 64, Chavez 3

Hollywood 44, Roybal 12

Northridge Academy 58, East Valley 9

Orthopaedic 25, Annenberg 14

RFK Community 27, Mendez 18

Sherman Oaks CES 75, Fulton 7

South East 35, Bell 27

Verdugo Hills 56, Eagle Rock 31

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 60, Edison 23

Arroyo 34, El Monte 25

Arroyo Valley 42, San Gorgonio 29

Baldwin Park 60, La Puente 15

Bonita 48, San Dimas 39

Burbank 64, Pasadena 40

Carter 77, Adelanto 54

Chino 58, Ayala 38

Citrus Valley 54, Liberty 52

Coachella Valley 45, Palo Verde Valley 36

Covina 49, Sierra Vista 40

Desert Christian 46, Lancaster Baptist 27

Don Lugo 53, Bloomington 16

Eastside 56, Quartz Hill 24

El Modena 40, Irvine University 15

El Segundo 60, Montebello 18

Flintridge Sacred Heart 50, Muir 43

Fontana 50, Patriot 42

Foothill Tech 35, Santa Barbara 23

Gabrielino 40, Rosemead 27

Garden Grove 53, Garden Grove Pacifica 17

Glenn 36, Firebaugh 11

Heritage 56, Corona 38

Highland 60, Antelope Valley 26

Hillcrest 61, Valley View 37

Irvine 36, Tustin 34

Jurupa Valley 47, Norco 19

Laguna Beach 42, Savanna 39

Lancaster 55, Knight 22

Loma Linda Academy 42, Desert Chapel 13

Los Altos 60, Mayfair 23

Los Amigos 43, Artesia 25

Mesa Grande Academy 80, River Springs Charter 10

Monrovia 39, Ramona Convent 31

Newbury Park 55, Santa Paula 26

Nordhoff 54, Cate 31

Paramount 58, Lakewood 40

Redlands 35, Banning 19

Royal 47, Channel Islands 39

San Jacinto Valley Academy 34, Santa Rosa Academy 26

Santa Maria 61, Valley Christian Academy 37

Schurr 45, California 37

Segerstrom 49, Long Beach Wilson 46

Silver Valley 55, Sultana 30

Southlands Christian 49, Bassett 10

Temple City 35, San Gabriel 27

Twentynine Palms 55, Cathedral City 13

Vasquez 45, Palmdale Academy Charter 6

Vista Murrieta 40, Beaumont 37

Western Christian 64, Workman 14

West Torrance 74, Torrance 36

Whittier Christian 68, NOVA Academy 13

Wiseburn-Da Vinci 66, South Torrance 60

Woodbridge 66, Katella 37

Yucaipa 51, Summit 46

YULA 64, ISLA 26

INTERSECTIONAL

Compton Centennial 43, Rancho Dominguez 16

Dominguez 50, LA Jordan 8

LACES 62, Inglewood 35

Warner 40, Anza Hamilton 33

Westchester 53, Leuzinger 52

Sports

South Carolina legend Steve Taneyhill, known for iconic ‘home run’ touchdown celebration, dead at 52

Published

21 hours ago

December 15, 2025

Press Room

South Carolina legend Steve Taneyhill, known for iconic ‘home run’ touchdown celebration, dead at 52

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Former South Carolina quarterback Steve Taneyhill, who played for the Gamecocks from 1992-95, has died at 52.

The Gamecocks athletic department confirmed on Monday that Taneyhill died overnight in his sleep, though no cause of death was provided.

“Taneyhill was inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006,” the Gamecocks said in a statement about his death. “He was named Freshman of the Year by Sports Illustrated and Football News Freshman All-America in 1992.

USC Steve Taneyhill taunts Clemson fans after USC beat Clemson 24-13 at Clemson in 1992. (Tim Dominick/The State/Tribune News Service)

“An exciting player, Taneyhill was known for his iconic mullet hair and his ‘home run swing’ after touchdown passes.”

Taneyhill led the Gamecocks to its first-ever bowl victory in program history in 1994, his junior season at South Carolina. They defeated West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl.

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And when Taneyhill threw touchdowns, he would perform his famous “home run swing,” as the statement read, in celebration.

A native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Taneyhill notched South Carolina records with 753 completions and 62 passing touchdowns over his four seasons. He also was second with 8,782 passing yards and seventh with a 60.5 completion rate.

Taneyhill’s senior season in 1995 saw him lead the SEC in completions (261), pass attempts (389) and completion percentage (67.1) on his way to 3,094 passing yards with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Quarterback Steve Taneyhill of South Carolina University drops back to pass during a 42-23 loss to the University of Georgia at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia on Sept. 2 1995. (Jamie Squire/Allsport)

For his performance as a Gamecocks star, Taneyhill was later inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006.

To this day, Taneyhill is responsible for three of the to four highest-passing-yardage games in school history, including a 471-yard day against Mississippi State in 1995.

Taneyhill was never able to break into the NFL, though, joining the Jacksonville Jaguars as an undrafted free agent in 1997. However, he was released during the preseason and never once played in the league.

He later became a high school football coach, leading his Chesterfield High to the South Carolina state title for three straight seasons in 2007-09.

Steve Taneyhill , Quarterback for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks throws a pass downfield during the NCAA Southeastern Conference college football game against the University of Georgia Bulldogs on Sept. 2,1995 at the Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, United States. (Jamie Squire/Allsport)

South Carolina’s statement said that he also purchased and operated businesses in Columbia and Spartanburg, South Carolina after his coaching days were over.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.