Pep Guardiola calls for Man City grit and fight ahead of Arsenal clash
By
SABC Sport
19th September 2025
Pep Guardiola has urged Manchester City to show character and consistency when they face Arsenal at the Emirates on Sunday, stressing that his side must improve on their last visit to north London.
City arrive in confident mood after back-to-back victories against Manchester United, winning 3-0 in the Premier League, and Napoli, triumphing 2-0 in the Champions League. But Guardiola admitted that Arsenal, managed by his former assistant Mikel Arteta, represent one of the toughest challenges in Europe.
"The last 15 or 20 minutes of our last game there was a disaster," Guardiola said of City's 5-1 defeat at Arsenal last season. "We forgot to do what we had to do. Hopefully this time we can compete better because Mikel is an extraordinary manager.
"Step by step, window by window, Arsenal are getting better. They are now one of the most solid teams in Europe."
That defeat in the capital saw Martin Odegaard open the scoring before Erling Haaland equalised, only for Arsenal to run away with the contest through goals from Thomas Partey, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Kai Havertz and Ethan Nwaneri. Guardiola said City could not afford a repeat collapse.
"What's important is the feeling, the vibe of the team, the body language," he added. "The body language of the team has grown up. I'm pleased with that.
"Win or lose, we always try, but when you see the team is in a good vibe, that's what you have to do."
Guardiola also reminded supporters that the title race would not be decided in September. "It's the fifth game of the season. Come on. Sir Alex Ferguson once said you only need to be close to the top four by Boxing Day. After that you can think about it," he said.
"We are not going to win the Premier League on Sunday and we are not going to lose it on Sunday."
Instead, Guardiola underlined his main priority: seeing City continue their growth. "From experience, in most of our six Premier League titles, we were behind Liverpool or Arsenal in December or January and still won.
"My concern is that we are making a step forward. That's the only thing that matters right now."
