Manchester City’s bluntness against Inter may give Arteta’s Arsenal ideas

Italian side’s low block stifled Pep Guardiola’s men and offered reminders of March’s Premier League stalemate

Pep Guardiola had made the decision. The Manchester City manager had known for five or 10 minutes and so when the half-time whistle sounded in Wednesday night’s Champions League tie against Inter at the Etihad Stadium, he sprinted off to the dressing room, eager to put the plan in place.

It is a major part of Guardiola’s greatness. The ability to see when and where things are going awry; to make the needed changes. Here, there was not much going right. City were blocked up, unable to find fluency or incisiveness. There was an unusual kind of vulnerability about them. Continue reading...

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