Arsenal vs. City: Guardiola's Ego Is Zero and Arteta's Redemption

LONDON, SUNDAY — Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola lowered his ego as much as possible by willingly employing tactics akin to those of a mediocre team when facing his former pupil, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. This decision nearly resulted in three points, but was nullified due to Arteta's redemption at the end of the match.

Arsenal and City shared the points after a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium in London on Sunday (September 21, 2025). Arsenal substitute Gabriel Martinelli's goal in the 90+3rd minute of injury time cancelled out the visitors' victory. City striker Erling Haaland's early goal in the 9th minute earned them just a point.

From the two goals separated by more than 80 minutes, there is an interesting story involving the two managers, particularly Guardiola. When was the last time you saw a team managed by Guardiola play super defensively while only leading 1-0 with more than 20 minutes remaining? It seems never, especially since the manager is touted as a pioneer of modern football.

That super defensive strategy did not merely involve playing a low block defense for the remaining time. City changed their formation from 4-5-1 to 5-4-1. Three center-backs were deployed simultaneously when defender Nathan Ake replaced midfielder Phil Foden. In the last 15 minutes, the visiting team played without a pure striker as Haaland was substituted.

"We do not want it to be like this, but when the opponent plays better, we have to defend deeper and rely on counterattacks. That is not our intention. I would prefer not to do it, but when at this level, we must be able to adapt," said Guardiola regarding the use of a five-defender formation.

Match statistics shed light on Guardiola's approach. City only had 32.8 percent possession and had eight touches in the opposition penalty area. Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori alone had seven touches in the City penalty area. According to Opta Analyst, these two aspects are the lowest during Guardiola's time at City.

The opening goal for City also came from a counterattack. They punished Arsenal during their first attack after being unable to escape pressure for the first eight minutes. Haaland, in combination with midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, exploited the gap in the home team's exceptionally high defensive line.

Sadly, Guardiola's ego sacrifice wasn't enough to secure three points. The five-man defense was caught out in the final minutes by Martinelli's sharp instincts and midfielder Eberechi Eze's through ball. Martinelli beat the offside trap and conceded goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's first goal in a City shirt.

Guardiola's pragmatic approach is not without reason. He learned a great deal after the 1-5 defeat last season. Moreover, City arrived at the Emirates with many new players and had only a two-day break since their last match. "All teams do their best to achieve results," said Arteta, justifying the tactics of his mentor.

Arteta's Sins

Arteta was saved by Martinelli and Eze. His decision in selecting the starting players is once again being questioned. He utilized the midfield trio of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino, which has already proven to be unsuccessful against Liverpool. There are no creative players in the midfield of "The Gunners."

Arsenal actually appeared to be doing well at the start of the match. The trio of midfielders repeatedly manipulated the aggressive pressing attempts from Haaland and his teammates. Unfortunately, the situation changed due to conceding an early goal. As a result of taking the lead first, City felt comfortable to defend deeper and simply waited for moments of transition.

The absence of a creative midfielder has left Arsenal's midfield lacking in ideas. Out of frustration, they have been unable to produce a shot after half an hour of play. The team's attacks have primarily relied on the right wing, particularly through the individual efforts of winger Noni Madueke. Most opportunities have come from crosses.

Former Arsenal striker Theo Walcott, who is usually supportive, also criticized Arteta. "My question is, why did he have to wait until the 90th minute to attack? Why not from the start? I feel like he (Arteta) admitted that mistake with his quick substitutions in the second half," he told BBC Sport.

Arteta immediately made two substitutions right after halftime. Merino was replaced by Eze, while Madueke was substituted for the key winger Bukayo Saka, who had just recovered from injury. Arsenal's attack became sharper thanks to Eze's role as a creator. The home team's midfield began to pose a threat.

In the 80th minute, Arsenal switched to a super offensive mode. Martinelli came on to replace wing-back Jurrien Timber. Arteta left only three defenders on the field. Ultimately, the persistent effort to seek a goal paid off handsomely. Arteta redeemed his mistake in the starting lineup with precise substitutions.

Arteta stated that the trio of midfielders at the beginning of the match was the best choice. This would be useful against City's Guardiola style, not the version seen today. Regardless, the manager does not wish to differentiate between starting players and substitutes. With many options in the current squad, Arteta believes that the roles of all players are equally important.

"There are many factors," Arteta said of how we determine our starting lineups. "First is their performance level and emotional state. Then, what we believe is best about the opponent. We have to predict the opponent. There's also chemistry that can make each other better. We need to understand that," he added.

Through the draw, Arteta succeeded in becoming the first manager to remain unbeaten against Guardiola in five consecutive league matches. This felt like a significant achievement for the pupil. However, with one point, Arteta's team is already five points behind league leaders Liverpool after five matches. (AP/REUTERS)