Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has admitted that his side were desperate to stop Arsenal playmaker Martin Odegaard from getting on the ball on Wednesday night
Pep Guardiola has admitted that Manchester City’s second-half game plan hinged on stopping Martin Odegaard during Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal on Wednesday.
The visitors broke the deadlock in the first half at the Emirates Stadium following a sloppy back pass from defender Takehiro Tomiyasu which handed Kevin de Bruyne a gilt-edged chance before the Belgian finished perfectly past the onrushing Aaron Ramsdale. However, the north Londoners fought back and equalised before the break, through Bukayo Saka, who converted his penalty after Eddie Nketiah was fouled in the box by City goalkeeper Ederson.
Pep Guardiola says Man City’s game plan was to stop Arsenal ace Martin Odegaard. (Photo – Sky Sports)
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the match, City boss Guardiola admitted that he was intent on his side stopping Arsenal captain Odegaard in the second period, something they effectively did as goals from Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland eventually secured all three points for the away side.
“Second half we were much, much better”, the Spaniard admitted. “[In the first half] we let them play in the build-up, in our shape.
“When you let them play with Jorginho, [Granit] Xhaka with Alex [Zinchenko] they found the players in behind Odegaard and the other one, the players behind and the runners outside. In the second half at half-time we adjusted a little bit. Ruben [Dias] was really good, going more aggressive to Odegaard and we controlled more of the balls.
“We played more and more, and Erling helped us a lot because one against one we had to do more long balls and he used his power to enable us to do it.” The result means Guardiola’s men are now above Arsenal on goal difference, although the north London outfit do have a game in hand on their title rivals.
How many goals Erling Haaland needs to match Mohamed Salah Liverpool record as Sadio Mané beaten
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored his 28th non-penalty goal of the season to help his side beat Arsenal 3-1, closing in on Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool record.
Daniel Sturridge’s best season in a Liverpool shirt was 2013/14, when the Reds very nearly won the Premier League title.
That year, Sturridge scored 27 non-penalty goals, the most he managed in any of his campaigns in England.
But in Manchester City’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal on Wednesday night, Erling Haaland hit 28, surpassing Sturridge’s best-ever haul in just over half a season.
Haaland, who had already overtaken Romelu Lukaku (25 non-penalty goals in 2016/17) and Sadio Mané (26 in 2018/19) in this leaderboard, scored Manchester City’s third on goal on the night to seal the victory and move level with predecessor Sergio Agüero on 28.
Data collected by A Visual Game on Twitter shows that Haaland only needs two more match Wayne Rooney (2009/10), three more to equal Luis Suárez (2013/14) and four more to tie Thierry Henry (2003/04).
Alan Shearer, the Premier League’s record scorer with 260 goals, is only five ahead (33 in 1995/96), alongside former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres (2007/08).
But Haaland is still some way off the all-time leader Mohamed Salah, who remarkably netted 43 non-penalty goals in the equivalent of just 46 full matches in his first full season at Anfield.
Salah leads Andy Cole (41 in 1993/94) atop the rankings, with Harry Kane in third (38 in 2017/18).
The Norwegian will fancy his chances of making yet more history, though, with 15 Premier League games still to go, and Manchester City still gunning for the Champions League and the FA Cup.
Salah also holds the record for the most goals in a 38-game Premier League season with 32, but Haaland is now only six away.
Source: football.london; liverpool.com
