Pep Guardiola did not like watching Manchester City defend for long periods but praised their resilience after they set a surprise record in a 1-1 draw at Arsenal.
Erling Haaland’s slick ninth-minute finish at Emirates Stadium looked enough to earn City a statement Premier League victory in north London.
Guardiola reverted to a back five in the second half in an effort to secure all three points and as a result his team set a record lowest share of possession during his tenure with only 32.8 per cent.
But it was not enough to seal victory as Gabriel Martinelli struck in stoppage time.
“I cannot believe in this country with another record, I am so proud of that,” Guardiola said with a smile.
“I give a lot of credit to Arsenal, a lot of credit. Sometimes you want it, sometimes you can’t.
“It is really good, especially defending five. (We’re) not built for that, but we have to accept it and if the team has that percentage, it is because they are better.
“Arsenal were better in that time so we don’t want it but sometimes it happens. OK one time in 10 years is not bad, right?”
Even though City struggled to keep the ball in this latest battle with rivals Arsenal, Guardiola has seen enough over the past week to have an air of confidence that his eight-time Premier League champions are close to being back.
Back-to-back defeats in August threatened to ruin Guardiola’s attempt to rebuild a new title-winning machine, but last Sunday’s 3-0 derby success over Manchester United was followed by a midweek 2-0 triumph over Napoli in the Champions League before this steely display in London.
Asked if he liked watching his team defend, Guardiola admitted: “No, I suffer, I don’t like. I want the ball away, away, away now. I want to be close
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