Despite the frequent discussions about Premier League teams searching for a ‘Diet Pep’ Guardiola to emulate his success at Manchester City, his most accomplished protégé managed to secure a point at the Etihad by adopting strategies reminiscent of a different managerial icon.
As Guardiola’s players surged towards Arsenal’s defense, stationed near their penalty area, a commentator on Sky Sports remarked, ‘Jose Mourinho is watching this with a smile on his face,’ highlighting the familiar patterns of play.
Indeed, Arsenal was unfortunate to concede a late equalizer from John Stones, and while Arteta and his team may perceive the point garnered at the Etihad as two dropped, five years into Arteta’s tenure, the Gunners seem to have deciphered the Etihad enigma.
Arsenal has not triumphed over Manchester City at home since 2015, and the scorelines from their losses—both home and away—were disheartening during much of Arteta’s management, often trailing by three or four goals, including a 4-1 defeat at the Etihad in 2023, amidst their initial title-chasing campaign.
However, on Sunday, the statistics for Arsenal revealed a perplexing tale of a trap laid for Guardiola’s team, which, save for a moment of late brilliance and another avoidable sending-off, they nearly executed perfectly.
Mikel Arteta set up a take-no-prisoners defensive shape against Manchester City on Sunday
The tie ended in a draw in no small part due to Arsenal’s dogged locking up in the second-half
Comparisons were made between Arteta’s gameplan and that of Jose Mourinho’s (left) – who had form outsmarting Pep Guardiola (right)
There was little interest in attempting
In a match that showcased a rout and provided little opportunity for possession, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz may have seemed almost incompetent in their performance, as they became the first Premier League players to register just one successful pass each—having made only six and five passes, respectively.
However, exhibiting a Machiavellian resolve reminiscent of Mourinho at his peak, Arsenal effectively hushed the Etihad crowd, bringing joy to Man City fans by scoring an equalizer while their remarkably talented striker achieved his milestone of 100 goals in just 105 appearances.
Man City is not the first team to fall victim to this tactical approach this season; Arteta initially tested the strategy against Brighton. Once again, Arsenal had to contend with only ten players after Declan Rice received a red card, similar to Leandro Trossard’s dismissal on Sunday. Nevertheless, they managed to secure a hard-earned point, achieving just 35.8 percent possession in the second half.
This possession figure was slightly better than what Arsenal managed during the north London derby, where Arteta’s team held on with just 36.3 percent possession in the second half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Though they won the match 1-0 that day, it was not a display of particularly graceful football.
In comparison, the possession metrics at the Etihad on Sunday were stark, as Arsenal settled for a mere 12.5 percent of the ball in the second half.
Arsenal were well-drilled and comfortable with the slenderest of possession metrics
Guardiola has seen the margin by which his side triumph at home reduced against Arsenal
With a defensive posture in their own half, Arsenal’s attempts to break into attacking territory were sparse. Arteta’s squad managed only one shot compared to Man City’s staggering 28 and completed a mere 35 passes in their opponent’s half against the hosts’ 363.
Despite feeling increasingly frustrated, Guardiola adhered to his strategy as Arteta’s players executed theirs. Rather than opting for early substitutions to introduce fresh perspectives, his starting lineup labored in vain until, significantly, his substitutes were eventually called upon to attempt a change in momentum during the later stages of the match.
of the half, Stones chief among them.
Arteta has consistently favored a gritty approach against his Big Six opponents. According to Opta, last season, Arsenal maintained an average possession of 41.9 percent against Liverpool in their league encounters, 45.7 percent against Tottenham, 50.1 percent against Chelsea, and 50.4 percent against Manchester United—culminating in an unbeaten record.
Among the elite teams, their lowest possession rate was against Man City, where they recorded 38.5 percent. However, results proved favorable, with the Gunners securing three points at home last October and managing to hold firm in the subsequent meeting at the Etihad.
Last season, Arsenal gradually reduced the margins, starting with their successful Community Shield campaign. The home victory followed a 1-1 draw, and for the first time since 2016, Arsenal held Man City to a 0-0 draw in their own stadium, during which the visitors controlled a mere 27.5 percent of possession. Man City typically faces teams employing similar tactics, but not against their fiercest title rivals.
The Gunners had been forced into a similar gameplan against Brighton two weeks earlier
When the two teams met in the Premier League last season, they similarly shared the spoils
Arteta’s focus on grit extends beyond just the positioning of his team. Several players from Man City openly criticized their opponents for employing ‘dark arts,’ encompassing rough tactics, cautious set-pieces, and various forms of time management.
On Monday morning, Mail Sport reported that teenage substitute Miles Lewis-Skelly received a yellow card before even playing a full minute of professional football for signaling to David Raya to go down injured.
Raya complied, and with physios rushing onto the pitch to assist the goalkeeper, Arteta was able to communicate with his outfield players from the touchline. Later in the match, in a frustrated response, Guardiola remarked that he didn’t ’know how many (Arsenal) players went down with cramp.’
Whether Arsenal were time-
Wasting time with any noticeable success is yet to be determined. Sky Sports requested Opta to find out how long the ball was in play during the second half, and the resulting total of 35 minutes marked the highest in any Premier League match this season.
However, Arteta’s so-called ‘dark arts’ tactics succeeded in unsettling Manchester City. A few players were visibly agitated at the final whistle, with Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva gesturing and hurling expletives at opposing players and coaches. Additionally, Silva and Manuel Akanji made pointed remarks during their post-match interviews. Arteta’s squad will aim to capitalize on this newfound ability to disturb Manchester City in future encounters.
David Raya was one of the players to go down injured in an attempt to manage the game’s tempo
Post-match tensions rose, with Erling Haaland (left) notably riled by the antics
While Arsenal may yet prevail in this ongoing struggle against their Premier League title rivals as the competition tightens, there is one team that has truly challenged Manchester City and emerged victorious—Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Silva emphasized this point during a post-match interview with Portuguese-language media, clarifying why Liverpool, not Arsenal, is viewed as their primary rival.
‘Liverpool has already clinched a Premier League title, while Arsenal has not (under Mikel Arteta),’ the Portugal international stated. ‘Liverpool has won a Champions League trophy (under Klopp), and Arsenal has not. This underscores why the rivalry is different.’
‘Furthermore, I must express that Liverpool always approaches us with the clear intent to win.’
Klopp was never hesitant about confronting Guardiola’s precise passing game with his own energetic style. Over time, he has proven to be one of Guardiola’s most formidable rivals.
In their 29 matches against each other as managers, both in and out of the Premier League, Klopp has triumphed over Guardiola 12 times, while Guardiola has won the same number of matches, resulting in six draws overall.
Guardiola had a particularly fiery rivalry with Jurgen Klopp (left) – who was praised for showing up against Man City
