After Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal, Pep Guardiola’s post-match remarks stirred debate.
The City boss surprised many by switching to a 5-4-1 shape in the second half, a rare move for the Spaniard, but one that nearly paid off until Gabriel Martinelli struck late to deny his side all three points.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Guardiola pointed to fixture congestion and travel demands as reasons his side looked fatigued:
“Arsenal were better and we were incredibly tired. The Napoli game was so emotional, then you only have one recovery day and suddenly you’re on a four or five-hour trip to London. If that sounds like complaining about the schedule—okay, I’m complaining about the schedule.”
Not everyone agreed. Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton dismissed Guardiola’s comments on BBC’s 606 Football Phone In:
“Really? These players are pampered. Everything is done for them. A Wrexham fan last night was telling us about bus replacement services on his journey to Norwich—these guys have no idea.”
Still, Guardiola has reasons to be frustrated. City have faced Arsenal, Napoli, and Manchester United with the same starting XI, despite several injury concerns. Mateo Kovacic, Omar Marmoush, and Rayan Aït-Nouri remain sidelined, while Nathan Ake and John Stones have only just returned. Abdukodir Khusanov also picked up a knock against Arsenal, adding to Guardiola’s selection problems.
Whether or not Sutton is right, Guardiola’s irritation highlights the growing tension over fixture congestion at the top level of the game.
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