Pep Guardiola's Man City: Leaving beauty to move towards practicality
If you look at the Man City squad this season, it is difficult to recognize the familiar image of Pep-ball in the past decade. No longer Ederson with soft feet, Pep Guardiola has faith in Gianluigi Donnarumma - a goalkeeper who is more physically oriented and reflexed than distributing the ball.
With no longer islanders in midfield like Oleksandr Zinchenko or Joao Cancelo, Pep used central defender Abdukodir Khusanov to reinforce the right wing. The role of the "false 9" that once made waves has disappeared, replaced by Erling Haaland - a classic striker.
This change marks a clear change compared to the 2017-2019 squad, when Man City won the championship with 100 points with football artists such as David Silva, Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal: "Student" constantly changing
On the other side of the front line, Arteta's Arsenal also showed the process of civilization. After many years of being criticized for lacking a true striker, the "Gunners" brought in Victor Gyokeres, a tall striker with a strong grasp and many similarities with Haaland. In midfield, Arteta has Martin Zubimendi as a quality addition, creating a fulcrum for Spanish-style possession control, like Rodri at Man City.
Many people think that Arteta has been a copy of Guardiola for many years. From recruiting Zinchenko, Gabriel Jesus directly from Man City, to using a full-back inside, deploying a central quartet, even recruiting a goalkeeper with good feet like David Raya.
diversity in philosophy
Arteta did not hesitate to use a 5-man defensive formation to win the FA Cup in the 2019-2020 season. After running out of steam in the 2023 championship race, the 43-year-old coach adjusted Arsenal to be tighter and more pragmatic, prioritizing solid defense before thinking about attack. Those are decisions Guardiola rarely chooses, which proves the difference in coaching personality.
Arteta has turned The Gunners into the best non-ball pressing team in Europe for the past 2 years, something Pep has rarely prioritized. If Guardiola is inclined to control, Arteta is ready to play practically in big matches, such as the away trip to Liverpool in round 3.
Both adapt to the harsh Premier League
Pep Guardiola learned from Mikel Arteta when he added set-piece expert James French in the 2024-2025 season, after seeing Arsenal succeed Nicolas Jover - who joined The Gunners in the 2021-2022 season. In addition, Pep did not hesitate to let Man City play in the style of waiting for counter-attack opportunities, as they did against Man United in the Derby in round 4.
Arteta has also changed the trend. From using Aubameyang, Lacazette, then Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and now Gyokeres, he showed his adaptation to the era of "muscle 9." returning. As the opponent presses higher and higher, having a striker who holds the ball and presses becomes a mandatory solution.
The convergence of many factors
Both Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have boosted their squad's physique and strength. The two teams now have almost only 5 players under 1.8 m tall in the starting lineup, far from the small but skillful tiki-taka Barcelona generation in the past.
The big difference is the way they build their squad. Guardiola often likes teams of players who are streamlined and rotated constantly, while Arteta pursues the idea of two teams to maintain the intensity of the whole season. However, this season, Pep unexpectedly registered up to 26 players, proving that he is also changing.
The battle of wits
Pep Guardiola has proven his genius through countless innovations but he has never had to start from a low starting position like Arteta in 2019. Arsenal's journey from a team outside the Top 4 to a championship candidate is a testament to Arteta's steadfastness and ability to learn.
The Emirates battle is not only a battle for the top spot, it also reflects the current tactical trend of the Premier League. The match will be decided by many factors, but the most important part is who will adapt better.
For Pep Guardiola, a victory would be an affirmation that Man City are still a big candidate for the championship race. As for Mikel Arteta, the shadow of "Pep's student" is still there. Now is the most appropriate time to prove that he has escaped cover.
