**Arsenal Were the Better Team Against Man City, Says Pep Guardiola**

*By Rajdeep Saha | Sep 22, 2025, 01:18 AM*

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has acknowledged that Arsenal outperformed his team in their recent Premier League encounter, which ended in a 1-1 draw at the Emirates Stadium.

Despite an early goal from Erling Haaland giving City the lead, Arsenal fought back with a late equalizer from Gabriel Martinelli. Reflecting on the match, Guardiola admitted, “I think the result is fair. In general, Arsenal were better.” He praised Arsenal’s overall performance, describing the game as “demanding” and commending their solid defensive organization, especially during set-pieces.

### Tactical Shift: Defensive Approach from City

In a departure from his usual style, Guardiola deployed a five-man defense to contain Arsenal’s attacking threats. “We don’t try to be like this but when the opponent is better we defend deeper and counter-attack,” he explained. This defensive setup helped frustrate Arsenal for most of the match but was ultimately breached in the closing stages when Martinelli scored.

### Resilience Amid Fatigue

Guardiola also highlighted the physical and emotional challenges his squad faced leading up to this fixture. Having played intense matches against Manchester United and Napoli earlier in the week, fatigue was a significant factor. “Hats off to our team for the resilience. It’s so difficult when you’re not effective with high pressing,” he remarked.

He further noted the toll of their prior encounter with Napoli and the long journey to London, which impacted his team’s usual dominance.

### Notable Stats

According to Opta, the 1-1 draw marked a record low for Guardiola’s teams in terms of possession during a top-flight league match. Manchester City held just 32.8% possession, the lowest average of any Guardiola side in his Premier League career, and one of the two lowest possession stats recorded in his 601 league games as City manager — both occurring against Arsenal (the other being 36.5% in March 2023).

—

Pep Guardiola’s candid reflections underline Arsenal’s rising stature and the challenges facing Manchester City as they navigate a congested fixture schedule this season.
https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/sports/pep-guardiola-praises-arsenal-after-stalemate-at-the-emirates/story