Pep Guardiola Unleashes Explosive Tirade About Manchester City's Playing Style
Sarcasm certainly isn't the most basic form of humor according to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
The Spanish manager was in excellent spirits while speaking to journalists before City's Carabao Cup third-round match against Huddersfield Town. With attention once more centered on Guardiola's unusually cautious strategy against Arsenal, the vocal strategist unleashed his sharp wit, claiming his team must be "rubbish" to employ such a defensive style.
City managed only 33% ball control during their 1–1 stalemate with the Gunners on Sunday, marking the lowest percentage ever recorded by a Guardiola team throughout his 17-year coaching tenure. Mikel Arteta celebrated these numbers—despite them ignoring that Arsenal managed merely three attempts on goal, with the final one coming through an unlikely Gabriel Martinelli chip to secure a draw in added time.
Guardiola maintained that he still preferred controlling possession following a cutting remark aimed at his detractors. "When we sit back deeper it's because the opposition are superior or we are rubbish," he remarked.
"I'd rather we win the ball higher up the field, maintain lots of possession to disrupt the opponents' formation and attempt to exploit them. That's always been my approach and always will be. If that doesn't occur it's because we performed poorly, not because we chose to [play defensively]."
The former Barcelona playmaker also justified his team's growing tendency to quickly locate Erling Haaland, who netted a sharp opening goal against Arsenal on Sunday. "When I began playing under Johan Cruyff, whenever a team pressed man-to-man he would tell me: 'Pep, when you receive the ball as a defensive midfielder, find Romário, look forward,' so why should we [City] play shorter passes if that player is covered and this player is covered?
"If you [the opposition] choose to go one-on-one with Erling [Haaland] then go one-on-one. If you lose that battle, it results in a goal."
As the intense press conference concluded, Guardiola had shifted into increasingly barely concealed contempt. "When we claimed the Premier League we were labeled a dull team, correct? That's why I declared: 'Fine, I'll create more counter-attacks this season,'" he fumed.
"Perhaps the players in time will discuss how much I've transformed this season. You can question them—I believe it's exactly the same.
"For instance, did we alter our approach against Napoli?" Guardiola questioned himself. "Three days afterward we modified our playing style? I transformed absolutely everything in three days. I must be an exceptionally talented manager."