Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola speaks with Manchester City’s Dutch defender Nathan Ake and Manchester City’s Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 15, 2023.
Kevin De Bruyne had given City the lead and even Bukayo Saka's controversial penalty equaliser wasn't enough to shake the champions' equilibrium once they rode Arsenal's first half storm on a rainy night in north London. Guardiola has been waiting for this moment as he searched for concrete proof his City stars still had the hunger required to be crowned champions.
Guardiola's curious tactics and his unexpected decision to allow Joao Cancelo to join Bayern Munich on loan in January further added to the sense of a team drifting at a time when Arsenal were revitalised under his former assistant Mikel Arteta.