At the Emirates Stadium on 21/9, Man City adopted a pragmatic style, a stark contrast to their usual flamboyant approach. They held only 32.8% of the possession, the lowest in Guardiola's 601 Premier League matches as a manager. Erling Haaland's goal in the 9th minute gave them the lead, after which they retreated into a defensive posture. However, in the third minute of stoppage time, Martinelli chipped the ball over goalkeeper Donnarumma to equalize for Arsenal, securing a 1-1 draw.

Man City's defense watches the ball go into the net after Arsenal's equalizer in the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London, on 21/9. Photo: Guardian

Man City's defense watches the ball go into the net after Arsenal's equalizer in the Premier League match at the Emirates Stadium, London, on 21/9. Photo: Guardian

In the pre-match press conference for the Huddersfield game in the third round of the English League Cup, Guardiola faced numerous questions about the criticism directed at him and Man City for their performance against Arsenal. The Catalan coach expressed his frustration and asserted that he doesn't pay attention to the criticism.

"Until I retire, I will always want to play in my preferred style, but sometimes my team doesn't play well, or sometimes the opponent is better," Guardiola added. "Man City had to defend deeper because they were better or we were too bad. Sometimes the opponent is good and creates challenges that we cannot handle."

The 1-1 draw with Arsenal marked one of the three matches with Man City's lowest possession under Guardiola, with only 32.8%. The other two were the 3-1 victory against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in 3/2023, and the 2-1 win against Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in 11/2019, both in the Premier League.

Guardiola holds his head in disappointment after the late equalizer in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, London on 21/9. Photo: Reuters

Guardiola holds his head in disappointment after the late equalizer in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, London on 21/9. Photo: Reuters

However, Guardiola expressed pride in Man City's tactical flexibility. "Only three days after beating Napoli in the Champions League, we changed our approach. I'm good, aren't I, because I can change everything in just three days? I must be brilliant to be able to do that," he added sarcastically. "The media can ask the players if the approach has changed, but I think it's exactly the same as in previous years. What has changed is that the opponents have played differently, and we haven't been able to do better."

Man City currently sits 9th in the Premier League with two wins, one draw, and two losses. This inconsistent form contrasts with expectations, but Guardiola believes the team will soon be at its best once the 10 new signings from the past year are fully integrated. "We are stable and gradually improving as injured players return and as Donnarumma and James Trafford progress," he emphasized.

Guardiola also acknowledged that he learned from his mentor, Johan Cruyff, at Barca in the early 1990s, adapting his playing style from short passing to a more direct approach with long balls to the forwards. Just as Cruyff had Romario at Barca from 1993-1995, Guardiola now has Haaland, who scored against Arsenal from a counter-attack.

Haaland scores the opening goal in the 1-1 draw between Man City and Arsenal in the 5th round of the Premier League on 21/9. Photo: Reuters

Haaland scores the opening goal in the 1-1 draw between Man City and Arsenal in the 5th round of the Premier League on 21/9. Photo: Reuters

"When I started my playing career, teams began to play one-on-one pressing. Cruyff used to say, 'Pep, when you have the ball in the holding midfield position, look at Romario, look ahead,'" Guardiola recounted. "Why pass short if your teammates are tightly marked? You have to find a way to pass forward, where the striker is one-on-one with the opponent's defender. Against Erling, if the opponent loses in a one-on-one challenge, a goal will come."

Compiled by Ha Phuong