Arsenal chief stormed out of director’s box and REFUSED to shake Man City counterpart’s hand after dramatic equaliser
ARSENAL chief exec Tim Lewis refused to shake hands with Manchester City’s top brass after Sunday’s dramatic game at the Etihad.
The Gunners were devastated after their hopes of a famous win were dashed by a 98th minute equaliser from John Stones.
And SunSport understands Lewis stormed out of his seat in the director’s box when the ball hit the net.
He did not return to greet the City hierarchy - as is the norm following a game.
So it was left to fellow members of the travelling Arsenal board to apologise and mingle with their hosts.
The incident was another sign of the growing tension between the two title rivals – both on and off the pitch.
City were furious with some of the tactics deployed by the visitors as they tried to cling onto their slender lead in the second-half.
Some home players accused the Gunners of using "dark arts" after going down to ten-men in first-half stoppage time.
Premier League clubs reportedly flagged concerns about their use of gamesmanship last season.
Statistics compiled by Statsperform show that City stars may well be right to complain.
So far this season, Arsenal have wasted the most time on average when the game stops for corners, free-kicks, goal kicks, kick-offs, penalties, drop balls and throw-ins.
Incorporating data from all of those categories, the Gunners take an average of 33.5 seconds each time - the joint-longest in the league alongside Aston Villa.
With tensions high after the game, Erling Haaland was involved in angry confrontations with various Arsenal players in chaotic scenes after the final whistle.
The striker chucked a ball at Gabriel's head and told Mikel Arteta to "stay humble" after the game.
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