Arsenal executive Tim Lewis in fresh Manchester City drama as new early exit revealed | OneFootball

A delegation from Arsenal, including their executive Tim Lewis, is at the centre of fresh early exit drama involving Manchester City revealed by the Daily Mail this week.

It is the latest development in a long list of reports covering an ever-growing rivalry between Manchester City and Arsenal, following on from the 2-2 draw between the two sides at the Etihad Stadium earlier this month.

Away from the fireworks on the pitch, players from the Premier League champions were hugely critical of Arsenal’s tactical set-up in the second-half of the match, and the manner in which the Gunners attempted to slow the game down and waste time.

Comments then spilled over into the managerial press conferences, with Mikel Arteta claiming he had inside ‘information’ from Manchester City during his time with the club, particularly concerning their own methods on the pitch.

Footage then followed from within the Etihad Stadium appearing to show Arsenal executive Tim Lewis leaving the contest without greeting his boardroom counterparts, which is the usual post-match routine from visitors to the club.

Now, according to the information of MailSport’s Mike Keegan, it is reported that it did not go unnoticed when Tim Lewis and the Arsenal delegation departed the PFA Awards in Manchester before City’s Phil Foden was presented with the Players’ Player of the Year award in August.

It is explained that some had wondered whether the early exit was entirely necessary, given others from London clubs including West Ham and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer stayed until the end of the event in August.

In response to the new claims, Arsenal insiders say the group had to leave early to catch the only available flight back to London and that they chose a moment of minimal disruption, when the crowd was ordered to get to its feet and dance to rapper Aitch.

Tensions between the two clubs were particularly heightened during a post-match interview involving Bernardo Silva, when the Manchester City midfielder was asked what he felt were the differences between matches against Arsenal and Liverpool.

“Perhaps because Liverpool has already won the Premier League and Arsenal hasn’t,” Silva responded in brutal fashion. “Liverpool, at that time, had also won a Champions League, while Arsenal hasn’t.”

The Manchester City playmaker continued, “Liverpool always faced us head-on, to win matches. From that perspective, our games against Arsenal haven’t been like the matches against Liverpool were, and still are!”

Manchester City and Arsenal are not due to go head-to-head for another few months, with their next meeting scheduled for mid-February at the Emirates Stadium in North London.