‘I don’t like it’ – Guardiola on deploying defensive approach in Arsenal draw

Pep Guardiola said helium did not bask asking Manchester City to usage the antiaircraft tactics that backfired arsenic Gabriel Martinelli’s stoppage-time equaliser salvaged a 1-1 gully for Arsenal connected Sunday.

Guardiola opted for an unusually cautious game-plan successful the 2nd fractional astatine the Emirates Stadium successful a bid to cling connected aft Erling Haaland’s ninth-minute opener.

But the City manager’s determination to substitute Norway striker Haaland and regenerate England guardant Phil Foden successful a power to a backmost 5 yet proved unsuccessful.

Arsenal were capable to monopolise the shot with City sitting truthful deep, and Martinelli broke the offside trap with a well-timed tally onto Eberechi Eze’s walk earlier lofting a composed decorativeness implicit Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Tellingly, City had conscionable 32.8 percent of possession, which ranked arsenic the lowest fig immoderate Guardiola squad person ever recorded successful a Premier League match.

“I can’t judge I person different grounds successful this country,” helium joked. “I springiness a batch of recognition to Arsenal, particularly erstwhile defending with five. We are not built for that but sometimes we person to judge it.

“Arsenal were amended truthful sometimes it tin happen. One clip successful 10 years is not atrocious right? I person to beryllium myself again with the strategy. Now I americium a modulation team!”

Resorting to tactics much acquainted to his aged rival Jose Mourinho showed Guardiola’s desperation to cling onto what would person been a priceless triumph aft a rocky commencement to the season.

Instead, the Spaniard’s willingness to ditch his purist principles was successful vain and City are present languishing successful ninth spot — already 8 points down leaders Liverpool.

Clearly a enactment successful advancement aft Guardiola’s dense spending connected younger players successful the past 2 transportation windows, City’s inexperience has shown successful a tally of conscionable 2 wins successful their archetypal 5 league matches.

– ‘I don’t similar it’ –

“Tough week, it was truthful demanding coming here, particularly against 1 of the champion teams successful Europe. It was hard to play the mode we wanted to,” Guardiola said.

“I would similar to play different mode but erstwhile we play truthful galore games, you tin support heavy and instrumentality a result.

“Honestly, it is due to the fact that the hostile was better. We person to past successful that mode and we did.”

Adamant that helium would judge the disapproval of his blimpish approach, Guardiola added: “I americium unfastened for that. I americium sitting present for that.

“Three days agone against the champion squad successful Italy we played otherwise against Napoli.

“I suffer. I don’t similar it. But if the hostile is doing bully things, we person to judge it and improve.”

Despite the disappointment of Martinelli’s equaliser, Guardiola took bosom from a spirited City show that was excessively often missing during their troubled tally past season.

“I said this season, I don’t attraction astir the results. I privation to spot the tone back. We mislaid it past play and we person to retrieve it. We did that this week,” helium said.

Arsenal brag Mikel Arteta refused to beryllium drawn into the statement connected Guardiola’s tactics, surely retired of respect for the manager helium regards arsenic a person aft moving nether him arsenic a City assistant.

“Everybody tries to bash his champion to get a result. It’s fine,” helium said.

“I’m highly arrogant of the players and precise disappointed with the result.

“After City scored the goal, aft doing perfectly thing earlier that, we started to predominate and the 2nd fractional was a continuation of that.”

Arteta, whose squad are 5 points down Liverpool successful 2nd place, was not immune from criticism, with his determination to again commencement with Declan Rice, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi successful midfield raising eyebrows.

“For maine we had a batch of attacking players successful that team. Nobody asked maine astir the midfield 3 successful Bilbao,” Arteta said successful notation to the Gunners’ 2-0 Champions League triumph successful the Basque Country successful midweek.

“It was the aforesaid midfield. I judge it was...