They really tried, but there’s one mistake that Arteta made in the second half yesterday, and as a young manager I want to correct Him so He won’t make that same mistake next time,” Pep Guardiola discloses the only mistake Arteta made yesterday that nearly led to His collapse.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola expressed his frustration with Arsenal’s tactics during their intense match at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, which ended in a dramatic 2-2 draw after City defender John Stones scored a stoppage-time equalizer, breaking Arsenal’s resilient defense. Arsenal played the entire second half with 10 men after Leandro Trossard received a red card just before halftime.

As Arsenal tried to maintain their lead, several players suffered from cramp, which Guardiola interpreted as a deliberate strategy to slow the game down and disrupt City’s momentum. These delays, as Arsenal worked to defend their position, caught the attention of the City manager, who voiced his dissatisfaction afterward.

Despite Arsenal’s attempts to hold on, they could not prevent City from equalizing with Stones’ late goal. Both teams faced challenges due to key absences, with Arsenal notably missing captain Martin Ødegaard and City without their star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne. Additionally, City lost Rodri to what seemed to be a serious injury midway through the first half.

Guardiola expressed his worries about Rodri’s condition but noted he hadn’t yet spoken with the medical team to determine the injury’s severity. His post-match comments suggested that his frustration extended beyond fitness issues; he appeared to criticize Arsenal’s tactics, seemingly aimed at his former assistant and current Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta. Guardiola implied that the frequent cramps and time-wasting tactics employed by Arsenal were part of a broader strategy to disrupt City’s rhythm, suggesting a calculated effort to run down the clock.

While the match concluded in a draw, Guardiola’s remarks underscored the tensions between the two teams, particularly given the stakes and the tactical contest between two of the Premier League’s top managers. Both squads will need to recover and address their injury concerns as they move forward in their campaigns, but Guardiola’s comments indicate that the psychological rivalry with Arteta is far from settled.