"Foul you, help you up and step on your calf" - Troy Deeney claims Chelsea hero was master of dark arts along with 2 other stars

Troy Deeney has named Chelsea great John Obi-Mikel the master of 'dart arts' as discussions rage on Arsenal's tactics against Manchester City. While downplaying the Gunners' approach, Deeney also named Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa as the two other former Chelsea players who made opponents' lives difficult on the pitch.

Speaking to The Sun, Deeney was dismissive of the 'dark arts' accusations on Arsenal. He claimed the Gunners were decent compared to some other teams of the past, saying:

"‘Arsenal are the masters of the ‘dark arts’? Give me a break. I’ve been around and seen teams act way worse in the Prem. None of this is new. Alan Pardew’s Newcastle were great at it. Cesc Fabregas was a horrible b*d. John Obi Mikel used to foul you, help you up and step on your calf as he did it. At Watford, we had meetings about Chelsea’s Diego Costa, who was so nasty we tried to be really nice to him on the pitch to try and get him on side."

Talking about Liverpool, he added:

"And I will never forget wiping out Martin Skrtel early doors in 2015 and hearing the noise he made when I hit him. I thought: ‘I’ve got you’. We ended up beating Liverpool 3-0. It is not ‘dark arts’. It is just trying to wind people up to gain an advantage. All Arsenal did against Manchester City was manage the clock, trying to give their players a break and they did it really well. It was basically a pre-season drill.

"When you go to Old Trafford, when you go to Anfield, anywhere you go, you would try to dampen the crowd, wouldn’t you? Yes they shut up shop, but don’t most teams at the Etihad? Does that make them all dirty and masters of the 'dark arts'"

Several fans and pundits criticized Arsenal's defensive approach in their recent 2-2 draw against Manchester City.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta slammed for signing Chelsea man

Former Arsenal star Emmanuel Petit was not happy with Raheem Sterling's signing from Chelsea. He believes that the Gunners should have signed someone younger and not gone for a player who lacks consistency.

He told Safest Casino Sites:

“No, Arsenal shouldn’t sign Sterling. Since Sterling left Liverpool, he hasn’t improved a whole lot at Manchester City and Chelsea. Sterling can have big moments but there is no consistency in his performances. He still needs to improve his final ball and needs to score more, this is the main problem.”

Sterling made his first start for Arsenal in the Carabao Cup clash against Bolton. The loanee scored and assisted in the game as the Gunners won 5-1.