Man City’s fortress: Pep Guardiola & Co. welcome Arsenal to Etihad

The away dressing room feels a little bit removed from the rest of the Etihad Stadium, tucked away down a corridor and away from the hustle and bustle of a Premier League tunnel.

Once the bell goes, it’s a journey to reach Manchester City‘s unique steps, taking players down beyond a corporate area resembling an aquarium, where spectators sporting golden lanyards gawp through one-way reflective glass.

By the time they eventually line up to head out, opponents have already been greeted by a wall-sized canvas of City’s Treble trophy lift, the first thing they see when entering the main tunnel area. Just in case they were unaware of what lay before them.

For many, this is a long walk to impending doom. They know what is coming, players privately remarking at how team meetings delivered by their managers in the days prior can sometimes descend into a steady stream of clips evidencing how Pep Guardiola‘s destroyed this club and that. It feeds into a mentality that the Etihad is impenetrable and seeps into the psyche.

No visiting team has won here since November 2022, when Ivan Toney inspired Brentford to a 2-1 upset just before the mid-season World Cup. Forty-seven games and counting in all competitions. There are only eight instances of lengthier unbeaten home runs, throughout all divisions, in the history of English football.

One of those came in the 1800s. Liverpool‘s Bootroom is another. Jose Mourinho‘s Chelsea. Cloughie’s Forest. A 1920s Stockport County and Plymouth Argyle, when the third division was regionalised.

This is, right now, the hardest stadium in Europe to enter as a foe, something Arsenal – unbeaten in 11 on the road – must overcome today if they are to make a serious early dent in the title race.

Sources across the Premier League refute the suggestion that teams are beaten before kick-off but do admit that succumbing to the aura of what Guardiola has created can prove an inevitability. They talk of paranoia about conceding an early goal and feeling powerless to stop the breaking of the dam. One can quickly become two; two can quickly become three.

For City, this is all routine. Meeting at the training ground over Ashton New Road for a meal and pre-game brief; the half-a-mile coach journey thereafter, greeted by supporters outside main reception. The passing of family photos hanging on walls outside their dressing room. Guardiola had cut the wi-fi in the inner sanctum in the early days before reversing his decision. 

Relaxed, at odds with what goes on down the corridor.

It was perhaps instructive of the general thought processes of coaches earlier this year when Unai Emery made the decision to alter half of his preferred starting XI for a visit to the north-west. 

Aston Villa, fourth in the league, prioritised other more winnable games – and a Conference League tie against Lille – over attempting to deliver a bloody nose to the champions, which is more eye-opening given Villa beat them in the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign.

‘It was important to be intelligent playing against Man City,’ Emery said. And by that he doesn’t mean tactically. ‘We prepared the match trying to win, but thinking as well that with some players injured and [John] McGinn suspended, getting practice in with some players.’

Those at other clubs have discussed the mental approach of going to the Etihad. 

It might not be the most intimidating place ­- although the stands can become feral on the biggest nights, notably games against Arsenal and Real Madrid in 2023, when Federico Valverde admitted it was one of the toughest atmospheres he has encountered – but it forces this strangling fear into those stood opposite. 

‘It’s similar to Old Trafford when Man United were good,’ one source said. ‘Daunting to look at who you are playing and what they have done.’

The fear takes hold in having this subconscious mindset of rocking on to the back foot, survival mode being a default setting. 

Inter performed masterfully on Wednesday night, in their Champions League goalless draw, yet they have one of the finest defensive units around. Not everybody is blessed with Alessandro Bastoni. Even then, on a night when City were nowhere near properly clicking, they missed at least three presentable chances to finish the Italians off.

Arsenal will have watched Inter’s approach with interest, a blueprint they themselves followed in what was billed a title definer last April. Mikel Arteta camped his side in their own third, ditched the aggressive man-to-man pressing that was their undoing during a 4-1 mauling a year before, and played for a point. Kai Havertz was the only player whose average position came in City’s half that day.

‘Sometimes in the past we were there in those matches and became crazy, lost control, gave up transitions and lost 1-0 or 2-0,’ Guardiola said. ‘I’m still concerned how we can do better, create more, when teams defend so deep. This is always my dream, my target. On Sunday, in some moments it’s going to happen, and it’s about how good we can be.’

Guardiola then called himself the best pragmatic coach around. An eyebrow-raiser but his pragmatic means something different to our pragmatic: Guardiola’s iteration is keeping the ball as high up the pitch as possible. So, playing normally. 

‘When the people say Pep just talks about how beautiful (football is)… no, no, no, not even in my period in Barcelona, not at all,’ he said. ‘Do you know why? Because the ball is far, far, far away from Ederson, from our keeper. When the ball is closer to my goal, now I am trembling.’

Arsenal’s version six months back presented a good point and was termed as a blow to City at the time. 

William Saliba and Gabriel did a job on Erling Haaland and, setting up like that, for such a strong back four, significantly increased their chances of a draw. 

A win though? The prospects of that reduced with Arteta’s plan – and the fine line is best described by Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola.

Iraola had overseen a 6-1 defeat last season. Bournemouth held out for half an hour but one went in and carnage ensued. 

‘We made a mistake as we were falsely comfortable defending low,’ Iraola admitted. ‘We decided not to push, not to press – to be not quite as aggressive – and I don’t think that was the right decision.’

Bournemouth gave up their power that day, as Arsenal have done. Defending’s fine yet without the threat of countering – something Inter maintained throughout in midweek – the Etihad’s not that aquarium any more, rather an abattoir.

Somewhat surprisingly, last season was the first in Guardiola’s career where he finished without losing a single home match in all competitions.

And the long stretch without defeat coincides with Haaland’s arrival. However well Arsenal dealt with him in April, defending has become more troublesome for Haaland’s introduction and Arteta’s approach to City in training has changed massively since the Norwegian’s arrival.

In the years before, Arsenal were constantly drilled on the classic Guardiola cutback – winger gets to the byline, flashing across goal for somebody to tap in. Now City’s ability to change deliveries into the box, and how they can go more direct, makes the life of a defensive coach that bit harder on game week.

‘It can be pass, pass, pass but they really want you to go man for man and then ping it over the top,’ one source complained. ‘You can’t plan for them now.’