Taste of their own medicine: How Sunderland's 'dark arts' stopped Arsenal

It's been more than a year since Man City players accused their colleagues from Arsenal of "dark arts" after their first derby in the previous Premier League campaign. And even though it didn't bring any results, Mikel Arteta's meticulousness and attention to detail were admirable.

However, it all seems to have started paying off in the current EPL season, as the Gunners top the league after 11 rounds with a four-point edge over the second-placed Cityzens. The London side's advantage could have been even larger had it not been for Brian Brobbey's 94th-minute leveller, thanks to which Sunderland snatched a point against the table-toppers two days ago.

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Nevertheless, it didn't take much for keen-eyed observers to note that something was different at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, as Sunderland themselves pulled a trick to neutralize one of Arsenal's biggest weapons and it eventually worked.

Namely, the advertising hoardings were moved significantly closer to the pitch, preventing the Gunners' lethal set-pieces - long throws in the first place.

When asked about these "dark arts," the Black Cats' boss, Regis Le Bris, jokingly said, "Are you sure? Might have been the wind," before adding, "Yeah, we tried to find the details to win the game."

This way, the Frenchman practically admitted that this "hoardings ploy" was used on purpose, while Arsenal tasted their own medicine. But who can blame Sunderland - after all, the end justifies the means, right?