Guardiola makes light of unlikely record

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola's side can scarcely have played more defensively during his tenure than it did in Sunday's 1-1 draw at Arsenal, parking the bus in an ultimately fruitless attempt to defend an early lead.

City finished the game with 32.8 percent possession, according to Opta the lowest recorded in a top-flight league match by any of Guardiola's teams in his glittering career, built largely on controlling possession and suffocating opponents.

Guardiola pointed to the short turnaround from Thursday night's Champions League clash with Napoli, and fairly compared City's display to Arsenal's rearguard action with 10 men in a 2-2 draw at the Etihad last season.