Pep Guardiola’s tactical calls have come under scrutiny after Gabriel Martinelli’s dramatic late equaliser at the Emirates.
Manchester City, who had taken the lead through Erling Haaland, spent much of the game protecting their advantage. Arsenal dominated possession and territory but rarely created clear openings until stoppage time, when Martinelli finally broke through with a brilliant lob from Eberechi Eze’s pass.
Guardiola later praised his side’s defensive effort and admitted that Arsenal’s quality, along with City’s demanding schedule, influenced his pragmatic approach. But while Martinelli’s finish was top class, the move highlighted five costly errors from a fatigued City side. Crucially, the sequence began with Pep’s men in possession inside Arsenal’s half.
1. Reijnders’ risky choice
Tijjani Reijnders drove inside into heavy traffic rather than shifting wide, where Savinho offered support. At that stage of the game, game management and keeping the ball were vital. Instead, he was dispossessed.
2. Nico’s costly touch
Although Savinho picked up the loose ball and found Nico Gonzalez, the substitute’s heavy touch and poor decision-making saw him quickly swarmed and robbed by Arsenal. While there was a hint of a foul, Nico should have been stronger in possession.
3. Lack of pressing
When Eze collected the ball deep, Arsenal had just three players in City’s half. With numerical superiority, at least one City forward—particularly the fresher Savinho—should have applied pressure. Instead, they sat off, giving Arsenal time and space to build.
4. Defensive hesitation
City’s improvised back five were caught out as Martinelli ran into space between Nathan Ake and Josko Gvardiol. Ake hesitated to track him, while Gvardiol seemed slow to spot the danger, leaving the Brazilian clean through.
5. Donnarumma’s positioning
Martinelli’s lob was exquisite, but Gianluigi Donnarumma’s positioning didn’t help. He was caught in no-man’s land—too high to retreat, too deep to close the angle—making the Arsenal forward’s decision easier. His frustration was clear as he thumped the turf afterwards.
Resilient but punished
Analysing the goal in detail perhaps underplays City’s overall resilience. They defended with discipline and spirit for most of the game. And while the late slip-up stung, Guardiola could take real encouragement from the unity and fight his players showed at full-time, when the squad applauded the travelling fans together—a show of togetherness that earned a warm response from the away end.
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