Pep Guardiola Delivers Explosive 'Don't Give a F---' Reaction to Critics Questioning His Bold Tactics
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola confessed he "endured" his team's defensive display during Sunday's stalemate with Arsenal, though he maintained it was essential following a difficult period.
City remain under scrutiny after their poor form from the disappointing 2024–25 season carried into the beginning of the current campaign. Back-to-back losses to Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion put Guardiola back under the microscope before recent victories against Manchester United and Napoli provided some relief.
Recognizing his team wasn't operating at full capacity, Guardiola opted for a defensive-minded strategy in Sunday's match. Erling Haaland's opening goal gave City the lead before the squad retreated in an attempt to stifle Arsenal, which proved effective until Gabriel Martinelli's leveler in the dying moments of stoppage time.
City finished the match with merely 32.8% possession, their lowest-ever figure under Guardiola, as they switched to a 5-4-1 setup which even saw Haaland replaced by defensive midfielder Nico González.
"It's about body language—how we celebrate, how we communicate, how we put in effort," Guardiola explained when questioned about his tactical approach following the match. "We lost that frequently last season.
"I told them, 'I don't care about the results, I want to see the fighting spirit return in training sessions and us enjoying ourselves'. We needed to regain it. This week we have regained it. We must continue.
"I endured it. I don't enjoy it, I prefer the ball far from [our goal]. But once in a decade is acceptable, right? Our determination was outstanding, otherwise we couldn't have survived."
The tactical adjustment caught Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice off guard, who acknowledged: "Towards the finish, they switched to a back five, went to five, which I've never witnessed them do, and they're clearly trying to hold on, so obviously to secure a draw at the end was positive for us."
While Guardiola argued he had no intention of transforming City into a counter-attacking side, he emphasized this isn't the first occasion he has favored transition over possession, especially during challenging times for his squad.
"We attempt not to play like this but when the opposition is superior and we have Erling who can sprint with such strength, we must do this," he emphasized. "Recall how many counter attacks we converted with Leroy [Sané], Raheem [Sterling] and Kevin [De Bruyne]? I would rather not do it but I would anticipate at this standard we must do it."