Pep Guardiola's "strange move"

The highlight match of the 5th round of the Premier League between Arsenal and Man City ended in a 1-1 draw (early morning of September 22). Gabriel Martinelli's equalizer in injury time helped Arsenal keep 1 point at Emirates Stadium while Man City lost the victory they thought was certain.

Pull down the formation

Right from the start of the match, the audience realized that Man City no longer followed the high pressing style or played attacking football to overwhelm the opponent as usual. After the opening goal from a sharp counterattack by Erling Haaland in the 9th minute, Pep Guardiola instructed the players to lower the formation and focus on protecting the results. At the end of 90 minutes, statistics showed that Man City controlled the ball for only 32.8% - an unprecedented low number under the Spanish coach in the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola's — Donnarumma is being tested for Man City's tactical changes. Photo: ARSENALFC

This is a "strange move" but reasonable in the context that Man City has just gone through a dense schedule, the force has not reached full strength. To execute the "closing" plan, Pep chose Donnarumma as the main goalkeeper, despite the Italian goalkeeper not being proficient in playing with his feet and having difficulty keeping up with the attacking style deployed from the goalkeeper position like his predecessor Ederson.

Strong shield

The difference is clear. Donnarumma is not as good at developing the ball as Ederson, but he is a solid shield in the goal. Possessing a height of 1.96 m but extremely fast reflexes, the Italian goalkeeper repeatedly neutralized high crosses from Madueke or Trossard. He proactively rushed out to block the ball, commanded the defense and brought a sense of security to the back four including Ruben Dias - Gvardiol - Khusanov - O'Reilly.

In the second half, when Arsenal focused on attacking, Donnarumma became the key factor to maintain the game. His long kicks also helped Man City's defense reorganize after each siege. It can be said that Donnarumma's presence turned Guardiola's deep-lying tactic from an idea to a reality on the pitch.

With three punches to clear the ball out of the box, four clearances and two saves in the box, Donnarumma really made things difficult for Arsenal's attack, especially in executing the usual set pieces to put pressure on Man City's defense. The goal conceded from Martinelli's finish was unavoidable as Donnarumma was forced to "come out" when the defense pushed too high.

"The Clam and Heron War"

The result at Emirates has left Man City lagging behind the top group. After 5 rounds, they have only 7 points, ranking 9th. This is Man City's slowest start in the Premier League under Pep Guardiola. If Arsenal and Man City are likened to a "clam and stork battle", then Liverpool is the "fisherman" sitting back and taking advantage, firmly at the top of the table while strong opponents hold each other back.

The strategy was successful in a specific match, against a specific opponent, but the question for Man City is: Can this approach be repeated many times during the season? For a team built to control the ball and play offensively, falling too deep to defend can easily cause the players to lose confidence and initiative.

Donnarumma may be able to play the 'shield' role in some big games, but he cannot single-handedly fill the gaps in City's footballing identity. The change in style is tactical, both to conserve strength and to experiment with a different approach for the long haul. However, abandoning some of the attacking identity has cost City the initiative.

Guardiola probably knows better than anyone. He has proven pragmatic when necessary, but certainly does not want City to lose the essence and strength that has made them a real force in English and European football.

The draw at the Emirates, while wise in the short term, was also a warning in the long term: a passive City cannot maintain dominance and pragmatism can help them avoid defeat, but giving up possession reduces their attacking power.

Donnarumma has proven his worth as a reliable "shield", but Pep Guardiola will have to consider carefully if he wants to continue pursuing this style of play in other big matches. If Man City do not return to their familiar image soon, they could be left behind in the title race on any front.