(Action Images via Reuters/Peter Cziborra)
LONDON: Pep Guardiola criticized his “fragile” Manchester City squad after their 5-1 thrashing by title-chasing Arsenal on Sunday, blaming them for crumbling in the closing stages.
City, enduring a difficult season, initially fought back when Erling Haaland’s second-half equalizer canceled out Martin Odegaard’s opener just 103 seconds into the match. However, momentum quickly shifted back to Arsenal after Phil Foden’s misplaced pass led to Thomas Partey’s deflected goal off John Stones.
From there, City collapsed, with Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz, and Ethan Nwaneri exposing their defensive weaknesses. It was another self-inflicted disaster for the fourth-placed champions.
Guardiola, visibly frustrated, admitted his players were to blame. “This has happened all season—we are giving away too much,” he said. “After the second goal, we lost control. You have to stay stable, no matter what happens before.”
City’s defensive errors started early, with Stones’ poor pass to Manuel Akanji playing a key role in Arsenal’s first goal. The match highlighted City’s issues—an uninspired attack, lackluster midfield, and shaky defense.
“We played well for 60 minutes, but you have to maintain that,” Guardiola said. “You can’t assume things will fix themselves. The last 20 minutes, we collapsed. I will talk to the players and hope it doesn’t happen again.”
With crucial matches against Real Madrid, Newcastle, and Liverpool approaching, Guardiola appeared increasingly frustrated. “I can’t defend myself or my players,” he admitted. “Hopefully, we learn from this. We can be fragile, but we have a duty to perform.”
Rivalry Tensions Grow
Arsenal and City’s rivalry has intensified in recent seasons. Earlier this campaign, Erling Haaland clashed with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, telling him to “stay humble” during their heated 2-2 draw.
On Sunday, Gabriel Magalhães celebrated Odegaard’s goal in front of Haaland, while Lewis-Skelly mocked Haaland’s signature meditative pose after scoring. Asked about Arsenal’s taunts, Guardiola simply responded, “That’s good,” before leaving the press conference.
While tensions between Arteta and his former mentor Guardiola have grown, Arteta downplayed the antics. “I haven’t seen it,” he said. “The players know my views—we focus on ourselves.”
Arsenal’s Title Push
The win was a major statement for second-placed Arsenal, who moved within six points of Premier League leaders Liverpool. “It’s a great day, not just for the result, but for the way we did it against such a quality team,” Arteta said.
“The energy in the stadium was unbelievable. If we play at this level, we can compete with anyone.”
