PEP Guardiola admitted he suffered through Manchester City’s uncharacteristically defensive approach after Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time equaliser secured a 1-1 draw for Arsenal on Sunday.
The City manager revealed he did not enjoy asking his team to adopt the cautious tactics that ultimately backfired at the Emirates Stadium.
Guardiola opted for an unusually conservative game-plan in the second half in a bid to protect Erling Haaland’s ninth-minute opener.
His decision to substitute Haaland and replace Phil Foden while switching to a back five ultimately proved unsuccessful against Arsenal’s persistent pressure.
The home side monopolised possession against a deep-lying City defence before Martinelli broke the offside trap with a well-timed run onto Eberechi Eze’s pass.
The Brazilian forward then lofted a composed finish over Gianluigi Donnarumma to snatch a dramatic late equaliser.
City recorded just 32.8% possession, which represents the lowest figure any Guardiola team has ever recorded in a Premier League match.
The manager joked about this unexpected statistical record before giving credit to Arsenal’s performance.
He acknowledged that his team are not naturally built for such defensive approaches but sometimes must accept necessary adaptations.
Guardiola’s resort to tactics more familiar to his old rival Jose Mourinho demonstrated his desperation to cling onto what would have been a priceless victory.
The Spaniard’s willingness to ditch his purist principles ultimately proved in vain as City now languish in ninth position.
They already trail leaders Liverpool by eight points after managing just two wins from their first five league matches.
Guardiola described the match as part of a demanding week following their Champions League exertions against Napoli.
He expressed his preference for playing differently but acknowledged sometimes teams must defend deep to secure results.
The manager stated he would accept criticism for his conservative approach while emphasising his openness to scrutiny.
He admitted suffering through the match and not enjoying the defensive style despite its occasional necessity.
Guardiola took heart from his team’s spirited display, which he felt had been missing during their troubled run last season.
He emphasised that this season he cares more about seeing the right spirit than immediate results.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta refused to be drawn into the debate about Guardiola’s tactics, surely out of respect for his former mentor.
The Gunners boss expressed extreme pride in his players while admitting disappointment with the final result.
Arteta noted his team’s dominance after City’s early goal and their continued control throughout the second half.
His decision to start with Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi in midfield raised some eyebrows among observers.
The Arsenal manager defended his selection by pointing to the same midfield’s success in their midweek Champions League victory at Bilbao. – AFP