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Publication date: Saturday, October 17, 2020 8:28 AM
Pep Guardiola refuted the obvious master versus apprentice narrative in preparation for Manchester City’s clash with Arsenal. the nervous 1-0 win about his former assistant confirmed that Guardiola was not only fuming from Mikel Arteta’s rear – but Pep proved that he can still teach his old partner a thing or two.
A possible classic at the Etihad drowned in the respect these former colleagues still have for each other. The caution on both sides, understandably it must be said, turned what could have been a fight into a cautious matter resolved by a moment of decision on the part of City and a small lapse of concentration on the part of Arsenal.
That will go well for Guardiola. City have gone balls out in their last two games and have suffered embarrassment in both. Leicester removed them with amazing ease Three weeks ago, as Guardiola’s mentor, Marcelo Bielsa, went head-to-head with the Spaniard during City’s last outing in the Premier League before the international break, when Leeds were unlucky enough not to take all three points in a thriller on Elland Road.
With the roles reversed and Guardiola linked as teacher to Arteta the apprentice, no doubt having done so for the past fortnight, the City boss took a more disciplined approach to avoid being introduced by his former right-hand man.
Guardiola’s intention was to prevent a repeat of what happened at Wembley in the FA Cup semi-final. City never faced Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the left wing, but Pep hatched a plan to prevent history from repeating itself. And it worked.
Read: 16 Takeaways On A Merseyside Derby Classic
It wasn’t entirely apparent in the early stages what that plan was, with all sorts of numbers thrown in all sorts of sequences to describe what form City were taking, but the principle of Guardiola’s selection was to close the channel between his right – back and right central, the space where Aubameyang loves to wreak havoc.
This time, Joao Cancelo and Kyle Walker squeezed Aubameyang and the Arsenal captain failed to register a shot into Ederson’s goal. Walker was especially impressive alongside Ruben Dias making only his second City appearance.
That does not mean that the City goalkeeper did not work. Ederson had to come off his line twice in the first half with a save to deny Bukayo Saka, after Aubameyang hit the youngster, evidence that the keeper had put his costly mistake in Leeds behind him.
🗣 “He knows our players but I don’t know his players”
Pep Guardiola reacts to Sol Campbell’s comment that the game is almost ‘chess’ considering his close relationship with Arteta pic.twitter.com/EQXnoZnUcL
– Daily football (@footballdaily) October 17, 2020
That opportunity, and a cry of penalty just before the break when Walker’s boot came dangerously close to Gabriel’s face, should have cheered Arsenal on. But the gunners seemed overly concerned about the possible ramifications of being withdrawn. City resisted the urge to be too adventurous, but that’s understandable given his recent fortune.
The fact that City had won their last seven league games with Arsenal, coupled with the fact that the Gunners had not beaten a team in the top six since 2015, perhaps contributed to the mistrust of the visitors, but with City crunching in the first weeks of the Arsenal season in much better shape, perhaps this was a missed opportunity on Arteta’s part. This was a new Arsenal team haunted by the failures of the old ones.
Arsenal had to adapt their plan immediately before kick-off when Rob Holding withdrew after sustaining an injury in the warm-up. David Luiz came in, but luckily for Arteta, this was the Luiz who chained City’s attack in the FA Cup semi-final, rather than the one that stumbled through on Arsenal’s trip to Etihad.
But Arteta flatly refused to deviate from that plan. Even in the second period, when City stifled play with possession, Arsenal did not alter their approach. Arteta’s changes went on like forever, even as Alexandre Lacazette replaced Willian with a quarter of the game remaining. Willian played like a false nine and, if anything, Lacazette, a proper nine, played even deeper.
Arsenal’s lack of adventure was noted with gratitude by City, who achieved their first clean sheet of the Premier League season with four unknown full-backs. But that rear guard was armed with one thing in mind, stopping Aubameyang, and Guardiola will delight in a job well done.
Ian Watson
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