Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has described his team’s performance in the final 30 minutes of their 5-1 defeat to Arsenal as “unacceptable”. The late collapse, which saw City concede four second-half goals, was sparked by a brief levelling of the game at 1-1.
England defender John Stones was equally critical of his teammates’ display, saying it was “hard for me to put into words” and apologising to fans who travelled to watch. Guardiola echoed Stones’ sentiments, stating that City’s defence failed to execute their plan and were instead driven by pride.
This defeat is the latest in a string of high-profile losses for City, including back-to-back defeats to Brentford and Paris Saint-Germain. Guardiola has described his players as “fragile” this season, but warned that they must continue to do what they’ve always done if they want to remain stable.
The City manager believes the team can learn from their mistakes and use them as an opportunity to improve, saying there is a “margin for improvement”. However, with their usual standards not being met this season, City’s performance against Arsenal will be a major concern.
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/43667172/arsenal-vs-man-city-john-stones-brands-result-unacceptable