‘On to the next’
Manchester City had to settle for a goalless draw after a dominant if impotent display against Premier League title rivals Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, but manager Pep Guardiola was satisfied with the point.
City finished the match with a robust 72% possession, but managed only a single shot on target. The Gunners, while at times defending desperately, put up two.
The result leaves the top three teams in the Premier League tantalisingly poised as the division enters its final stretch. With each having played 29 games, Liverpool sit top of the pile, two points ahead of Arsenal and a further one in front of City. Defeat for Guardiola’s side would have opened up a four-point gap between them and the leaders.
After the match, Guardiola spoke to the BBC with the air of someone happy to have not lost.
He said: “Tough game. Quite similar game to the last ones, take the point and on to the next.”
The previous clash between the two sides in October saw Arsenal narrowly win a similarly tight match, 1-0.
Continuing, Guardiola was full of praise for the opposition.
He said: “They make a really good pressing. They are a master of that. It is what it is. In the end we tried. They have really top players in defensive, defending perfectly compact. Low block. We tried.”
City had entered the match missing full-back Kyle Walker and goalkeeper Ederson, and then lost defender Nathan Ake to injury midway through the first half.
Ake’s departure left an already thin City defence looking yet thinner, but they were largely untested by the Arsenal front line.
Guardiola addressed the Ake injury, too.
He said: “A lot of games. It happens sometimes. I didn’t speak with the doctors but if he decided to go out it is because something happened.
“Now is just to relax, recover and Wednesday we will come back.”
Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola added: “They always press high, but when you break they drop into a low block. When you arrive in the final third the main target is to not concede a goal, and the more players you can get in there, it is more difficult for the opponent. I think they did that brilliantly.”
Addressing City’s defensive injuries, Guardiola was calm.
He said: “Yeah it is difficult but it is what it is. He [Ake] played two games this week with his national team and sometimes this happens. It is what it is.
“John [Stones] will be better soon I think, Kyle will be longer, Nathan will now be longer. Rico [Lewis] played exceptionally well today and with the guys we have we will do it.”
Turning to the title race, Guardiola put the pressure on Liverpool.
He said: “They are in first position. They are top of the league so that is how it is. There are still nine games to go so we will see what happens.”
City face a packed schedule with the visit of surprise package Aston Villa up next before a trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace and the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid next Tuesday.
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