Pep Guardiola admitted Manchester City were second best in their 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates, joking that his side had turned into a “transition team” after posting their lowest possession numbers in his decade at the club.
Arsenal Control the Game
City struck first through Erling Haaland, who netted his 13th goal of the season across club and country. But Arsenal kept pushing and were rewarded when Gabriel Martinelli scored in stoppage time to salvage a point. The defending champions had just 32.8% possession – the lowest ever in a Guardiola-managed Premier League match.
Guardiola Shrugs Off Possession Record
Speaking after the match, Guardiola laughed off the unwanted statistic. “I give a lot of credit to Arsenal for what they did. One time in 10 years is not bad. Now I am a transition team, you know that,” he quipped, while acknowledging that Mikel Arteta’s men dictated the tempo.
Spirit More Important Than Results
Guardiola, 54, stressed that his main concern is restoring the “spirit” within his squad. “In general, Arsenal controlled the game. It was not us. I don’t like it, but we accept 1-1. I have said this season I don’t care about results. I want to see the body language, the way we celebrate, the communication, the effort. That’s what I want back.”
City’s Season So Far
The draw leaves City ninth in the table with seven points from five matches – a sluggish start by their standards. They next face League One side Huddersfield in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday before a Premier League clash with Burnley at the Etihad on Saturday.
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