**Arsenal Were the Better Team Against Man City, Says Pep Guardiola**
*By Rajdeep Saha | Sep 22, 2025, 01:18 AM*
In their recent Premier League clash, Manchester City and Arsenal played out a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium. Erling Haaland opened the scoring early for City, but Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli netted a late equalizer to secure a point for the Gunners.
Following the match, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola acknowledged Arsenal’s superior performance on the day. “I think the result is fair. In general, Arsenal were better,” the Spaniard said during his post-match press conference. He praised Arsenal’s solid defensive effort, noting it was a demanding game where they defended well, particularly against set pieces.
Guardiola also cited fatigue as a factor affecting his team’s performance. Coming off challenging fixtures against Manchester United and Napoli earlier in the week, City’s players faced physical and emotional exhaustion. “Hats off to our team for the resilience. It’s so difficult when you’re not effective with high pressing,” he added, highlighting the toll of their recent matches and the travel to London.
In an unusual tactical shift, Guardiola adopted a defensive setup by deploying a five-man backline to frustrate Arsenal’s attacking threat. “We don’t try to be like this but when the opponent is better we defend deeper and counter-attack,” he explained. This strategy held firm until Martinelli’s late goal.
An interesting statistical note: according to Opta, Manchester City’s possession during this match was the lowest ever recorded under Guardiola in a top-flight league game (his 601st). The two lowest possession averages in his Premier League tenure—32.8% in this match and 36.5% in March 2023—both occurred at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.
Despite the draw, Guardiola’s respect for Arsenal’s performance was clear, marking the fixture as a hard-fought encounter between two top Premier League sides.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/pep-guardiola-praises-arsenal-after-stalemate-at-the-emirates/story