Gary Lineker and Micah Richards were both stunned by one thing they saw in Arsenal’s draw against Manchester City.
Matchday five of the Premier League season saw the Emirates host a blockbuster, but the match was rather underwhelming.
Though the two sublime goals at the start and end of the contest were the memorable moments, the real talking points came tactically.
Pep Guardiola had to disband his usual playing style for his Man City side to secure a result against Arsenal, who completely dominated the fixture.
Man City’s style of play against Arsenal shocked Gary Lineker and Micah Richards
Erling Haaland toyed with Arsenal’s defence in the ninth minute to open the scoring, which then prompted the visitors to sit back.
It was very ironic, considering that City’s players have slammed Arsenal’s playing style in the past, with the roles entirely reversed at the Emirates.
Whether it was a compliment to Mikel Arteta or just a sign of changing times, Guardiola’s tactics were a shock, and Micah Richards was stunned by what he saw.
“After that [Haaland’s goal], it was Man City going into a 5-4-1,” Richards said in complete shock on The Rest Is Football podcast.
Gary Lineker then echoed the pundit’s feelings, stating that he ‘couldn’t believe’ what he was seeing from City.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Lineker began.
“It just shows even the most confident coaches, astute tacticians, the best, can adapt to circumstances, and he obviously felt they were the right circumstances.”
Arsenal reduced City to just 33% of possession, with the hosts completely dominating the fixture against a side that almost benefited from their tactics.
Parallels to Man City 2-2 Arsenal
It was a particularly poignant contest when looking back to what unfolded almost one year ago to the day.
In September 2024, Arsenal’s defensive durability against City was praised, as the Gunners very much sat back after taking a 2-1 lead into the interval.
| Arsenal vs Man City 2025/26 | Arsenal statistic | Man City vs Arsenal 2024/25 |
| 67% | Possession | 23% |
| 12 | Shots | 5 |
| 581 | Passes | 208 |
On that day, Arsenal looked shocked to be ahead, so took advantage of it, up until the last moment, when John Stones scored the equaliser.
Arteta’s hard work was undone in an instant a year ago at the Etihad, just as Guardiola’s was a year later at the Emirates.
Very few would’ve expected to see City reduced to a stagnant playing style against Arsenal, with the roles entirely reversed in the space of a year.
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