City park Guardiola's bus then count the clearances

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Mikel Arteta should have the warm glow of a man who was complimented and copied. Pep Guardiola’s relationship with his old assistant remains intriguing. He called him “my friend Mikel Arteta” this week and, as those fluent in Guardiola-speak know, anyone described in such terms tends not to actually be his friend.

- RICHARD JOLLY

But this was Guardiola, the manager who changed football, threatening to out-Arteta Arteta. Johan Cruyff's most celebrated disciple almost emulating not his mentor, but his pupil. He didn't quite succeed. Guardiola entered injury time on the brink of perhaps the greatest rearguard action of his career. Gabriel Martinelli denied Manchester City the least Pep-ish of victories and secured a peculiar kind of parity.

For much of a 1-1 draw, it was attack against defence. And Guardiola's side, shedding their usual identity, were defence. Arsenal, Guardiola had said this week, were the most solid team in the league. For 91 minutes, City staked their claim to take that title. Until, perhaps remembering they are more accustomed to defending with a high line than in their own box, they pushed up for once, Martinelli sprang the offside trap and continued his transformation into Arsenal's new super-sub. That is the difficulty with defensive blueprints. You have to be flawless. City almost were, led for 84 minutes and missed the chance to draw level with Arsenal in the table.