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Guardiola defends tactics against 'better' Arsenal
The Guardian
|September 22, 2025
Pep Guardiola admitted he had no choice but to park the bus against Arsenal last night, and praised Manchester City's defensive resilience despite conceding a late equaliser.
A brilliant lob from Gabriel Martinelli in the third minute of stoppage time cancelled out Erling Haaland's early strike as Mikel Arteta became the first manager to go five consecutive league games unbeaten against his compatriot. City recorded just 32.8% possession - the lowest in a top-flight match for a team managed by Guardiola - in an uncharacteristically backs-to-the-wall display.
It was not quite enough to secure a first victory against Arsenal since April 2023 but the City manager acknowledged his players showed a different side to their game.
This story is from the September 22, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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