Mikel Arteta supported his defensive tactics when Arsenal were reduced to 10 men during Sunday's 2-2 draw against Manchester City, adding he would have been "very thick" not to learn from his previous mistakes.
Leandro Trossard was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away when Arsenal were 2-1 up at the Etihad.
After half-time, the Gunners sat back and soaked up pressure until John Stones netted a stoppage-time equaliser.
Arteta defended his tactics, referring to Arsenal’s 5-0 defeat to Manchester City in 2021 when former captain Granit Xhaka was sent off.
Speaking ahead of their Carabao Cup tie with Bolton on Wednesday, Arteta said: "Well, we had to play the game that we had to play. The first 15 minutes, we couldn’t. They played 30 seconds with 10 men. Look what they did. It’s normal what they did.
"Unfortunately we’ve been in the same situation. We were in that same situation with Granit and when we lost 5-0. So we’d better learn. If not I would be very thick."
The Gunners, who had led for most of the contest after goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel, were accused of "dark arts" by Kyle Walker and Stones.
Arteta defended his team, insisting they need to adapt in games and that they are not fully satisfied with the point after Stones' 98th-minute leveller.
"The team has a desire to compete in any context; to win and to adapt. Different competitions and different ways of playing – it is superb," he added.
"Happy? No. Because we wanted to win the three games, but I understand how tough that context is and how difficult it is.
"The things we have to deal with and our own issues with the amount of players we have out. It is a significant improvement and we have to be happy with that."
Meanwhile captain Martin Odegaard is set to return from an ankle injury in "a matter of weeks".
The 25-year-old has missed the Gunners' last three games after sustaining the problem on international duty with Norway on 9 September.
News of Odegaard’s imminent availability comes as a boost to the north London club, but Arteta insisted the Norway skipper is unlikely to be back before next month’s international break.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Bolton, the Spaniard said: "I think it will be a matter of weeks, but how long exactly I cannot tell.
"We might get a surprise but I think it’s unlikely he’ll be back before the international break."
Arteta said full-back Oleksandr Zinchenko would remain sidelined for "a few weeks".
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