Unraveling the Tactical Disarray: How Arsenal Stunned Man City with Flawless Gameplay

After Manchester City suffered a defeat at the hands of Arsenal, Pep Guardiola explained to reporters that the absence of Rodri compelled him to opt for players who excel in ball retention and protection. He specifically mentioned the likes of Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic, and Rico Lewis as examples and emphasized the need for midfielders who possess the agility to swiftly transition from defense to attack, thereby resulting in a more focused and compact playstyle.

This quote explains why the game played out how it did and City lost a second successive league game for the first time since 2018.

The title contenders of the 2022/23 season were also the top goal scorers in the previous season. However, their focus during their clash on Sunday was on restricting the attacking opportunities of their opponents.

The outcome of the match was determined by a fortuitous goal, as Gabriel Martinelli's shot deflected off Nathan Ake's face, catching Ederson off guard. It required either a defensive error or a moment of brilliance for either team to score the first goal.

So how did Guardiola set out to achieve "more protection with the ball" and did it work? Tactics analyst Dharnish Iqbal takes a deep dive to investigate...

Man City's narrow, ineffective shape

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Due to the absence of Rodri, my intention was to enhance ball security by incorporating midfield players who possess the skillset to swiftly transition from defense to attack. Consequently, our tactical approach veered towards a narrower formation.

Pep Guardiola

Rodri's suspension was a headache for Guardiola. His entire gameplan against Arsenal was shaped by his missing midfield metronome.

City faced difficulties in smoothly transitioning from defense to attack in the absence of Rodri. Instead, Guardiola focused on retaining possession and prioritized ball retention over purposeful attacking.

Minimal movement was observed from Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez, who occupy the half-spaces in the middle and possess the capability to turn and initiate attacks. In this scenario, despite their positions as wide forwards, they hardly made any efforts to drag the opposing players to create space.

Bernardo Silva was deployed as the deepest midfielder during the build-up phase, but he was unable to advance up the pitch or present a threat in the final third. City's attack was hindered by the limited movement of Foden, Alvarez, and Lewis, as all three were explicitly instructed to remain centrally and refrain from spreading out.

To facilitate ball delivery to their forwards in the half-spaces, Kovacic and Silva had the responsibility, but the pitch became narrower due to Arsenal's midfielders Declan Rice and Jorginho, along with the inverted wingers Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard.

In the provided

screenshot, Kovacic receives the ball from Bernardo. However, both Eddie Nketiah and Jorginho swiftly apply pressure, preventing him from turning with the ball and executing a central pass to any of the forwards.

The Gunners successfully hindered City's strategy by impeding their opponents' central advancement through strategic marking of their players, with the assistance of a winger tucking in or a full-back dropping back to man-mark.

Arsenal's strategy became more advantageous when none of City's attackers managed to lure an Arsenal player away. City could have exploited Arsenal's marking system by drawing their players wide or out of position.

Image:

Arsenal remained central to block Man City's passing lanes

City's gameplan was to make use of the half-forwards - but Arsenal dealt with this by overloading the centre of the pitch.

Arsenal's pressing

Martin Odegaard and Rice successfully tracked and marked the receiving midfielders - Bernardo, Kovacic, or Lewis - and consistently intercepted their passes into midfield, thereby restricting space near their own goal and beyond it.

City's strategy often involved playing the ball wide to their full-backs. However, upon receiving the ball from Ederson, the full-backs faced difficulty in finding a viable option to pass to either Foden or Alvarez, who were dropping deeper, or in carrying the ball forward. This challenge arose as Arsenal's full-backs aggressively pushed up in their pressing system to shut down City's options.

In the image displayed, Ake receives a pass from Ederson, but his attempt to pass the ball to Foden is obstructed by Odegaard. Foden adjusts his position to receive the pass, while closely marked by William Saliba.

Typically, employing strong pressure can work to your advantage as it entices players and allows you to advance the ball upfield once a player makes a mistake. Arsenal's defensive tactics made it difficult for City to distribute the ball to their midfielders or launch attacks.

Nevertheless, City barely utilized a potential solution, despite its proven effectiveness whenever it was employed.

Image:

Kyle Walker had above-average activity in his own half against Arsenal

Guardiola stated, "We lacked width due to this reason." He desired his team to retain possession in the central area of the field. Nonetheless, whenever City did send a full-back wide, there was available space.

During Erling Haaland's opportunity to head the ball, Josko Gvardiol made a run beyond Jesus, while White protected Foden, ensuring Arsenal maintained a compact formation. By focusing on the center of the pitch, Arsenal created space on the flanks, although they failed to fully capitalize on it.

Guardiola prioritised keeping the ball - as he often likes to - rather than exploiting the gaps appearing.

The City manager took a risk in the later stages of the game, bringing on Jeremy Doku

. Nevertheless, it could be argued that City would have gained an advantage by altering their game plan midway or introducing Jack Grealish to challenge Arsenal's full-backs. However, midfield substitutes John Stones and Matheus Nunes replaced Kovacic and Lewis instead.

Image:

Man City struggled to make forward passes and struggled to complete chances when they did (represented by red)

City aimed to maintain a tight grip on the game, utilizing their well-known approach of controlling possession. In light of facing Arsenal early on in the season and dealing with injuries, Pep's decision leaned towards caution. This cautious approach remained, despite the potential opportunities that arose when City launched their attacks towards the wide areas.

City's cautious strategy demonstrates the significance of Rodri's contributions to the team and Guardiola's high regard for Arsenal as formidable adversaries. The match seemed destined for a draw until Ake's unexpected deflection resulted in a goal.

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Guardiola has revolutionized the game's playing style, but he occasionally chooses to prioritize stability.

In the upcoming matches, Guardiola's team will face tough opponents, while Arsenal will have a more favorable schedule after their match against Chelsea on October 21. Despite it being early in the season, Guardiola's cautious approach seems to have given Arsenal a significant psychological advantage. Will this decision prove to be costly for Guardiola's side in May?