Pep Guardiola is leading a strangely defensive new approach to the Premier League | Premier League

WE is really through the glass with Pep Guardiola. The eyebrows had been raised by the way Manchester City approached the second half of their victory of Derby Commandant last week, sitting, allowing United the ball and picking them up on the break. But their performance in the drawing at Arsenal on Sunday was entirely at a different level: at only 34% possession, the lowest in the Guardiola part has ever recorded in a match. In the end, they had four central defenders, two holding fields and a great-back on the ground.

But even it does not reach how strange it was. During the previous five seasons, there were only 10 covers where City had no more possession than their opponents in a first League match. Only once before in the Premier League has the possession of City under Guardiola below 40% – when they recorded 37% by beating Arsenal 3-1 in February 2023, a decisive match in the title race of this season when he pulled the city level on points with Arsenal at the top, although they played one more match. This match, however, was an extreme version of the United Game: City seated deeply, trying to hit the break and, as it turned out, marking twice in the last 20 minutes to seal their victory.

Sunday was something different. If they finished this game in 2023 with more defenders than they had started, it was only because of the ill -star experience with the use of Bernardo Silva on the left back. It was not a complete retirement in the bunker. The Sunday’s match was, at least until the decisive moment of injury when City, confusing in the circumstances, was canceled by a ball played behind their defensive line. It may be unreasonable to expect a team so used to playing on the front foot to be able to immediately manage the barricades.

There was a strange meaning of the game reflecting the shock of the games at Etihad last season. On this occasion, it was Arsenal, with an advance at halftime, which withdrew and sought to suffocate the second half before succumbing to the injury time. The main difference was then that Arsenal had been reduced to 10 men by the dismissal of Leandro Trossard just before the break. And even then, there was a feeling that their retirement had been so extreme that they had courted the equalization they finally conceded. Why, then, would Guardiola do it with a full 11? Was the memory of season 5-1 of last season to the Emirates so heavily weighed on him?

Guardiola is not a dogmatist. He has always evolved. But even according to his standards, Sunday was a radical departure. He insisted that the approach had been forced to him by “one of the best teams in Europe”, but, since no Guardiola team has never played at a distance like that, does that mean that Arsenal is by far the best side he has ever faced? Or is it a confession that he does not trust this team to play the football of possession with which he is so associated?

When he has already changed – a great -back in the process of returning as an additional midfielder, aligning four central defenders, bringing John Stones out – this has always been with the intention of establishing control, creating the platform on which the carousel could turn. This, however, concerned survival. And what made the strangest is that in the first half, it was the manager of Arsenal Mikel Arteta who seemed a little too careful, promoting the functional on the players who could have tried to exhibit a city that, impressive, as they looked against United and a Napoli early at 10, have already lost twice in the league this season and were potentially vulnerable.

Caution is back at the highest level of football. The progressive and heavy style of passes which has been hegemonic in the last 15 to 20 years gives a more physical game centered on crosses, games and gives nothing. Even Guardiola leaves the paradigm he did more than anyone to establish. However, above the table, five clear points, Liverpool, which started the season by reducing the amount of coverage they had in the midfield. While Arsenal and City are worried, Liverpool continue to mark more than the opposition.

It is true that the trembling air in two goals and that relying on late winners is not durable, and as well as Arsenal, having played in Liverpool (Away) and City, has probably had the more difficult list. But still, as all the first three probably make stylistic adjustments, Liverpool is an extremely healthy position while their new signatures settle.

The uncertain journey in a post-pepist world continues.

• It is an extract from football with Jonathan Wilson, a weekly look of the Guardian US during the game in Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Do you have a question for Jonathan? Send an email to soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he will respond to the best in a future edition.