Guardiola: I ‘suffered’ in Arsenal draw but saw progress

• Pep Guardiola admitted City’s possession was their lowest under him in the 1-1 draw.
• He said Arsenal controlled the game but praised his team’s resilience.
• Guardiola stressed the importance of body language and spirit over results this season.

Pep Guardiola said he was made to “suffer” in Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal but praised his players for their resilience and for rediscovering the energy and communication he expects.

City had just 32.8% possession at the Emirates, their lowest figure since Guardiola took charge, yet came close to winning all three points. Erling Haaland put them ahead on the counter-attack after nine minutes before Gabriel Martinelli equalised for Arsenal in the 93rd minute.

When asked about the possession statistic, Guardiola laughed off the suggestion that it reflected poorly on his team. “I cannot live in this country with another record you know that, so I’m so proud of that. I give a lot of credit to Arsenal for what they have done. Okay, one time in 10 years is not bad, right?” he said. Smiling, he added: “I have to prove myself again [in] another strategy. Now I’m a transition team, you know that.”

The result capped a demanding week that saw City face Manchester United, Napoli, and Arsenal in the space of seven days. “We just need to go step by step to try and get points,” Guardiola said.

He pointed out that several of his new signings are still settling, including goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. “Gigi is still adjusting to City’s style of play,” Guardiola explained, adding that his passing and link-up will improve with time, as will the understanding among other new arrivals.

Despite the frustration of conceding late, Guardiola was content with the outcome. “In general, who controlled the game was Arsenal,” he said. “It was not us. And that’s why when this happened, 1-1? I take it.”

But the Spaniard admitted the experience of watching his side defend for long stretches was uncomfortable. “I suffer. I don’t like it. I want the ball away, away — I want it to be close to [David] Raya’s goal, not Gigi [Donnarumma’s].”

What pleased Guardiola most was his players’ renewed spirit. “We have to accept [the result] but things will improve. I have said many times about the [focus being on] the body language, how we celebrate, how we are communicating, how we are making an effort for each other. We lost it a lot last season. And I said this season I don’t give a ‘bleep’ about the results. I wanna see the spirit back in the training sessions.”