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Pep Guardiola taunted critics of Manchester City’s evolving playing style this season and insisted that his philosophy has not changed.
The Catalan, the pre-eminent coach of his generation, was likened to Jose Mourinho in the aftermath of City’s visit to Arsenal on Sunday, in which they ‘parked the bus’ to earn a 1-1 draw.
City posted the lowest percentage of possession of any Guardiola team across his top-flight career at the Emirates and experts believe they have become a more defensive outfit relying on counter attacks over the first five games of the Premier League campaign.
Guardiola scoffed at those suggestions, pointing out that his detractors had labelled the team dull when they were perennial champions of the division.
‘When we won the Premier League we were a boring team, right?’ he said. ‘Maybe the players in the future can talk about how much I’ve changed this season.
‘Maybe they are the ones who have the most credit to talk if I really changed approach, because they are in every meeting, every game, every post-match meeting. You can ask them.
Pep Guardiola has hit back at critics of Manchester City's style during the 1-1 draw at Arsenal
Guardiola's City have utilised Erling Haaland's pace on the break more regularly this season
‘I think it’s completely the same. Completely. We changed the way we played against Napoli? [No.]
'Three days later we changed our way to play? F*** I’m really good, I changed absolutely everything in three days! I must be a really, really good manager.
‘Until I retire, I would love to play in the way I want to play. In the principles, I prefer us to regain the ball high up the pitch, make a lot of possession to disturb the structure of the opponents and try to punish them.
'Always it’s been like that and always I will be like that.’
Guardiola – who will ring the changes for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Huddersfield Town, potentially giving debuts to academy teenagers Divine Mukasa and Stephen Mfuni – has been perplexed by the narrative around City’s recent displays.
City have utilised an ability to go in behind with Erling Haaland more often so far this term as a result of opponents becoming braver in pressing higher up the pitch against them.
The 54-year-old claimed that his team had to adapt to Arsenal at the weekend and insisted he has never taken issue with his players going longer.
Guardiola added: ‘When I started as a footballer under Johan Cruyff at Barcelona, when a team goes man-to-man… he would say, “Pep, when you have the ball as a holding midfielder, look at Romario, look up front”.
City were forced to defend for large spells of the Arsenal game and had 33.2% of possession
‘Why should we go shorter if that guy is being marked and this guy is being marked? You have to play up there, one against one. If you want to play one against one with Erling then play one against one. If you lose that duel, it will be a goal.
‘Sometimes we are not good, sometimes the opponent is better. When we defend deeper because they are better or we are s***, if you can run the transition, then run.
'But if it [attacking] doesn’t happen it is because we were bad, not because we want to do that. We are here to play.
‘Never before in my career did we defend for a long, long time all together compact in the middle and deep. Never ever. We were able to do it against Arsenal and I take this as an incredible positive thing for our future.’
