Pep Guardiola frustrated after ‘fragile’ Manchester City humbled by Arsenal

LONDON – Pep Guardiola slammed “fragile” Manchester City for surrendering in the closing stages of their humiliating 5-1 English Premier League defeat by title-chasing Arsenal at the Emirates on Feb 2.

Guardiola’s side crumbled to yet another dismal result in a woeful season as Arsenal ran riot. City had clawed their way back into the game when Erling Haaland’s equaliser early in the second half cancelled out Martin Odegaard’s opener after just 103 seconds.

However, the spluttering champions immediately handed the momentum back to Arsenal when Phil Foden’s wayward pass was intercepted by Thomas Partey, whose shot deflected in off John Stones.

That was the spark for City’s collapse as Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri exposed the gaping holes in the visitors’ defence.

It was a shocking meltdown, even by the standards of City’s numerous self-inflicted wounds this term. They have now committed eight errors leading to goals in the league this season, their most in any campaign under Guardiola.

The 54-year-old, in his ninth season in charge of fourth-placed City, cut an agitated figure throughout a chastening afternoon and he conceded his players had only themselves to blame.

“It’s happened all season. We are giving away too many things, we are aware this cannot happen. Unfortunately after the second goal, it happened again. You have to overcome, you cannot lose the control,” the Spaniard said.

“You cannot finish in the way we played. We could’ve scored three more, but the team has to be stable. It doesn’t matter what happened before.”

As well as Foden’s ill-timed error, Stones’ suicidal pass to fellow centre-back Manuel Akanji played a major role in Arsenal’s opener.

It was emblematic of a City performance that featured a largely toothless attack, a midfield lacking energy and the fatally flawed defence.

“We did 60 minutes really good. But you must continue to do what we need to do. You cannot think ‘Oh I am going to solve it’,” Guardiola said.

“We gave away the first goal. If you decide to talk ‘we have to do this offensively or defensively’, you have to do it. The last 20 minutes, we fell down. I will talk to the players and, hopefully, it won’t happen again. Always you have to be serious.”

Stones admitted his team’s collapse was unacceptable.

“How we played in the last 30 minutes was not acceptable. Personally and collectively, it’s not us. It is not nice to be involved in that when you know it’s not your team in those situations. Credit to Arsenal, this is not an easy place to come to,” he said.

“For 65 minutes, we played some great football at times. We were in the game and it was a swinging point. It swung the wrong way for us. I am angry, upset personally and collectively about how the game finished.”

With a Champions League play-off against Real Madrid looming, as well as league games against Newcastle United and Liverpool, Guardiola looks ever more at a loss to solve City’s problems.

“I don’t have a defence to defend my players, or myself first of course. Hopefully, we can learn the lesson for the future. We can be fragile, but you have a duty to do it. It’s a lesson for me,” he said.

After finishing as runners-up to City in the Premier League for the last two seasons, Arsenal’s meetings with their rivals have grown increasingly tetchy.

Earlier this season, Haaland told Gunners boss Mikel Arteta to “stay humble” and threw the ball at Gabriel Magalhaes during their stormy 2-2 draw.

On Feb 2, Gabriel responded by celebrating Odegaard’s opener in front of Haaland, who was mocked by Lewis-Skelly as the teenager marked his goal by copying the Norway striker’s meditating crossed-legs celebration.

Haaland may have registered his 250th senior goal from little over 300 games, but the 24-year-old was a forlorn figure for vast swathes of the match. He touched the ball only six times in the first half and not once after his headed equaliser. 

Told about the Arsenal jibes, Guardiola paused theatrically before saying “that’s good” and leaving his press conference.

Arteta’s previously close relationship with Guardiola became strained after the September clash.

However, Arteta appeared unimpressed by his players’ antics, saying: “I haven’t seen it. There is nothing I want to disclose about that. The players know my views on that. We have to focus on us.”
AFP, REUTERS