“It’s not the right way to go out and win a football match” - Manchester City star slams Guardiola’s defensive strategy against Arsenal

Manchester City defender John Stones has questioned manager Pep Guardiola's decision to park the bus during their Premier League clash against Arsenal. The English man branded the defensive approach in City's 1-1 draw at the Emirates last month as not 'planned' and 'uncharasteristic'.

Erling Haaland gave Manchester City the lead in the 9th minute on the counter and sat back for the rest of the match. The ploy, however, didn't pay dividends as Gabrel Martinelli equalized in injury-time for Arsenal.

Manchester City finished the game with 32.8% possession, which according to Opta is the lowest recorded in a top flight league match by any side Guardiola has managed.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Stones highlighted how difficult it was for them to soak up pressure for a long period of time and emphasized the need to return to their usual style of play. He said:

“No, it wasn't planned and I think it's definitely not in our DNA as a team to go out and do that. I believe it's not the right way to go out and win a football match by sitting on the edge of your box. “I've played against it enough to know how frustrating it is and how difficult it is to soak up all that pressure for a long period of the game. It was a mixture of things, definitely, not a tactical kind of set-up from us. More of feeling the game and… I don't know, it's a difficult one for me to say. “Looking back at it now it's very uncharacteristic of us for how we've played over the ten years that I've been there and we got a result out of it. I think next time we definitely have to go there and play our game.”

Guardiola's second lowest possesion recorded in a top flight league match was also against Arsenal at the Emirates. City recorded 36.1% possession, although they won the match 3-1.

"We don't want it" - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola lowest possesion stats in career after 1-1 draw wth Arsenal

Guardiola himself admitted that he didn't love the fact they they sat back during their 1-1 draw with Arsenal. He told reporters after the match.

"I cannot live in this country with another record, you know," Guardiola told reporters. "I'm so proud of that."He added: "We don't want it, but sometimes it happens. One time in 10 years is not bad, right? I suffer. I don't like it," he told reporters. "I want the ball away, away now."

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide