Haaland opened the scoring for Man City against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, London, in matchday 5 of the Premier League on 21/9/2025. Photo: Reuters

Haaland opened the scoring for Man City against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, London, in matchday 5 of the Premier League on 21/9/2025. Photo: Reuters

From the start, Guardiola instructed Man City to defend deep, ceding possession to the home side at the Emirates. After the match, the 54-year-old manager admitted it was "painful" to employ this tactic. But in reality, it was thanks to this defensive approach that Man City opened the scoring from a counter-attack in the 9th minute. They only dropped points in added time of the second half from Gabriel Martinelli's goal.

Man City's playing style resembled that of Jose Mourinho's teams when facing strong opponents. Instead of building play from the back with short passes, Man City compacted their formation, at times forming a 5-man defense, waiting for counter-attacking opportunities.

This plan worked effectively in the first half. Erling Haaland, familiar with counter-attacking from his time at Borussia Dortmund, latched onto Tijjani Reijnders' pass to open the scoring. This type of goal has been rare for the Norwegian striker in the past three seasons at Man City, as the team usually dominates matches with their possession-based game.

Haaland continued to be a dangerous threat whenever the visitors regained possession. His speed and strength created several chances that troubled Arsenal's defense. Ironically, when Guardiola abandoned the defensive approach to push forward and apply pressure in added time, Man City were immediately punished. Eberechi Eze's long pass split their defense, allowing Martinelli to score the equalizer for Arsenal, making it 1-1.

Many were surprised by Guardiola's change in tactics. For over a decade, his teams have always led in possession statistics. In the Premier League, Man City has averaged over 65% possession for several seasons, far exceeding other teams. But this season, that number is only 52.3%, ranking eighth in the league, lower than even Nottingham Forest or Man Utd.

Guardiola explained that the team was tired after a busy schedule, having just faced Man Utd in the Premier League and Napoli in the Champions League. Perhaps he also hadn't forgotten the memory of being routed by Arsenal last season. "Playing defensively once in 10 years isn't bad," he said after the match.

Man City's average player position at the Emirates last season (left) was much higher than this season (right).

But in reality, the numbers indicate this is not an exception.

Man City currently leads the Premier League in fast breaks, as defined by Opta. They have had 10 fast breaks, creating seven shots and scoring three goals. Last season, Man City ranked only 16th in this statistic. In the two previous seasons, they had never scored more than two goals from fast breaks.

In just 5 matchdays, Man City has scored three goals from fast breaks, including Haaland's goals against Man Utd and Arsenal, and Reijnders' goal in the opening matchday. These figures suggest this is a genuine trend for the team, not just a temporary experiment.

There are several reasons for this change. First, Rodri's injury and the departures of Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan have made it difficult for Man City to maintain their previous level of control. In addition, opponents are increasingly pressing effectively, making their short-passing game from the back vulnerable. Last season, Man City often struggled against teams that played a direct, high-tempo style.

Guardiola has been forced to adapt to a new trend, the kind of football he himself once acknowledged. "Modern football is the way Bournemouth, Newcastle, and Brighton play," he once said. "It's no longer so much about positioning, but about keeping up with the pace of the game."

This change is particularly well-suited to Haaland. The 25-year-old striker is most dangerous when he has space to sprint, rather than just waiting for passes into the box in a possession-based game. When he receives the ball from his own half and accelerates, he is almost impossible to catch. In the match against Arsenal, center-back Gabriel Magalhaes tried to keep up but was powerless against Haaland's speed. This is why the Norwegian striker has already scored six goals this season, twice as many as the next highest scorers in the league.

Man City's possession percentage has gradually decreased over the seasons under Guardiola.

Players like Jeremy Doku and new signing Reijnders also bring pace and dribbling ability, helping Man City transition faster.

This is a rare occasion where Guardiola is "following" a trend, rather than "creating" it. Previously, he developed the "false 9" role, full-backs moving into midfield, and intense pressing. But now, faced with the pressure of direct, high-intensity play from many teams, Guardiola seems to have to adapt.

Man City has only won two games after five matchdays, a sign that Guardiola is still experimenting. But his willingness to sit back and defend when necessary shows a completely different Man City: more pragmatic, less flamboyant, but also more dangerous in every moment.

Compiled by Xuan Binh