From Diego Simeone to Arsenal: in praise of sport’s dark arts
Pushing a game’s rules to the limits is part of competition
ON SEPTEMBER 22ND Manchester City and Arsenal played the most engrossing match of the Premier League season so far. The clash of the two likeliest title contenders produced a spectacular, long-range goal; a sending-off just before half-time; and a strike in the 98th minute to level the scores. But after the 2-2 draw, fans and pundits overlooked the drama. Instead they fulminated over Arsenal’s second-half tactics, accusing the London side of deliberately wasting time and interrupting the flow of the game. City’s players joined in: one called Arsenal’s behaviour “dirty”; another accused them of employing the “dark arts”.
Explore more
More from Culture
Want to spend time with a different American president?
Five presidential biographies to distract you from the news
Los Angeles has lost some of its trailblazing architecture
How will it rebuild?
What firms are for
The framework for thinking about business and capitalism is hopelessly outdated, argues a new book
Greg Gutfeld, America’s most popular late-night host, rules the airwaves
The left gave him his perch
Astrology is booming, thanks to technology and younger enthusiasts
Gen Z is full of stargazing users
Why matcha, made from green tea, is the drink of the moment
Is it really a healthy alternative to coffee? Not the way Gen Z orders it