Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, has revealed why he adopted a strange defensive style of football against Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
He said his team has not changed its playing style, insisting that the situation on Sunday called for the defensive measures since Arsenal ‘were better’ side in their 1-1 draw on Sunday.
Following the draw at the Emirates Stadium, Manchester City were accused of parking the bus, something Pep Guardiola claimed he has never done in his entire career.
The City team registered just 32.8 per cent possession which was the lowest of any side managed by the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.
The Spaniard said that Arsenal deserve more credit for putting his side on the back foot.
“Maybe the players are the most credible to talk about if really, really I changed the approach because they are in every meeting, they are in every game, they are in every post-meeting, post-game. You can ask them,” Guardiola told reporters on Wednesday.
“I think it’s completely the same, completely. What changed is the opponents play a different way, we are not able to do it better. I said after the game, Arsenal were better.
“I don’t like to play in the way we played at Arsenal, but there are a lot of things I love it, I didn’t have in the past but I love it. And I said in this press conference but the way we want to play and sustaining that.
“Sometimes the opponents are good and create the challenges that you cannot handle and the other one. But since I retire in this club, or I retire, I would love to play in the way I want to play. Sometimes we are not able, sometimes we are not good, sometimes the opponent is better. But for one game it’s bad and saying that the team is going.”
EPL: Why I changed Man City’s style of play against Arsenal – Guardiola opens up