‘Pace and threat’: Guardiola spotlights two Arsenal superstars he calls ‘so dangerous’
Pep Guardiola, speaking to the Manchester City website, was pleased to see his Premier League leaders withstand the ‘pace and threat’ of Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli during Wednesday’s 3-1 victory at Arsenal.
Occasionally, games of this magnitude are broken open by a mistake or by something unique. In the end, it was both; Takehiro Tomiyasu’s poorly executed backpass in stark contrast to Kevin de Bruyne’s magnificent finish.
Bukayo Saka’s equalizing penalty was a testament to the steely mentality Mikel Arteta has instilled in this Arsenal team, as the Gunners roared back in front of a feverish crowd.
The student glared at his teacher and threatened to teach him a lesson; Man City’s 36% possession was the lowest total of Guardiola’s managerial career.
“It is not easy to play against them,” Guardiola sighed at full-time. “The build-up they have; Jorginho, Alex (Zinchenko), Saka, (Martin) Odegaaard. The pace and the threat of Martinelli and Saka. It’s always so, so dangerous
“But we were still in the game (towards the end), and the quality of the players made the difference.”
Man City’s two late goals, scored by Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland, were the only thing missing from Arsenal’s boisterous performance.
Arsenal fell from the top of the Premier League table for the first time since early November, despite the fact that the London giants have a game in hand.
And Guardiola is ecstatic to see his City slickers close the gap, capitalizing on Arsenal’s recent slump in a manner that screams “championship hallmark.”
“They have one game left (in hand). So I consider them top of the league,” Guardiola explains.
“We could have come here a few weeks ago, when we were eight, nine points behind. Losing here (the title) would be almost over. And now, for the fact that they dropped points and we won the game, we are there (at the top).
“So far, they have got better results than us. That is the reality.”
‘Pace and threat’: Guardiola spotlights two Arsenal superstars he calls ‘so dangerous’
