Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has praised Arsenal’s defensive trio for their impressive performances in Sunday’s Premier League match.
Guardiola singled out Ben White, William Saliba, and Gabriel Magalhães for their ability to thwart City’s attacking efforts.
Despite Erling Haaland’s early goal for City, Arsenal fought back with goals from Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Magalhães. However, their momentum was halted after Leandro Trossard’s red card. Ultimately, John Stones’ late equalizer ensured a 2-2 draw between the two rivals at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola acknowledged Arsenal’s resilience and defensive prowess, emphasizing the difficulty of breaking down their well-organized backline. He particularly praised the trio of White, Saliba, and Gabriel for their strong defensive displays.
“Congratulations to Arsenal for being so strong mentally to block for a long, long time. That is not easy but we were patient,” Guardiola said at his post-match interview.
“After, 10 against 11 is [a] different [game]. They defended so deep and we can cross but it’s not easy with [Ben] White, Gabriel, [William] Saliba. They defend really good.”