Pep Guardiola proves Jurgen Klopp right with telling comments after Arsenal vs Man City

Manchester City were ultimately held to a 1-1 draw with Arsenal after a last-minute equaliser for the Gunners, and Pep Guardiola has since echoed ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp’s comments on fatigue

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted his players were “incredibly tired” as they were held to a 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League. Guardiola also echoed concerns raised by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, who criticised the Club World Cup during the summer.

Sunday saw City forced to settle for a point after a late Gabriel Martinelli equaliser cancelled out an opening goal from Erling Haaland against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium. The result leaves City eight points behind leaders Liverpool in the Premier League, with the reigning champions maintaining a 100 percent start to the campaign.

Guardiola pointed to fatigue as a reason behind City’s performance against Arsenal, after a busy summer saw them compete in the FIFA Club World Cup.

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City were eliminated in the round of 16 at the start of July, just days before Premier League clubs returned for pre-season training, reports the Liverpool Echo.

After watching City held to a draw with Arsenal, Guardiola explained why the demanding schedule affected the performance level of his squad.

“We cannot make an excuse without what happened this week, a tough game against [Manchester] United, Champions League Thursday [vs Napoli] and today against a team like this, so powerful,” said Guardiola in an interview with Sky Sports.

“Hats off to the team, their resilience, it’s so difficult when you’re not affecting the high pressure, the build-up, it’s already so tough to do it.”

City have picked up just eight points from their five Premier League matches this season. Guardiola was then asked if the busy schedule was a factor in City’s drop in form this season.

“They [Arsenal] were better and we were incredibly tired,” said Guardiola. “People don’t realise, the game against Napoli was so emotional after that a recovery day then it’s four or five hours to arrive in London, it’s more fatigue and everything.

“A team like Arsenal, who fought in the last two Premier Leagues, Champions League semi-final, not just Man City invest money they did it as well but we were there.

“We have to be strong and you have to have mentality, we have that. Honestly, of course it will affect you, the mindset will have to be strong but we have fatigue with the same players and we have players injured.

“John [Stones] came back injured from the international team, [Rayan] Cherki, Rayan [Ait-Nouri], Nathan [Ake] has been out for a long time. So many things have happened but if you want to bring the fact that I don’t want to complain about the schedule, that’s okay I’m complaining for the schedule. Are you satisfied?”

The comments from Guardiola follow on from remarks by by Klopp during the summer, where the former Liverpool boss criticised the Club World Cup. Klopp was concerned about the busy schedule and the impact it would have on player welfare.

“In the end, it’s all about the game and not the surrounding aspects – and that’s why the Club World Cup is the worst idea ever implemented in football in this regard,” Klopp told Welt earlier in the summer.

“People who have never had anything to do with day-to-day business or who no longer have anything to do with it come up with something.

“Last year we had the Copa America and European Championship, this year the Club World Cup and next year the World Cup.

“This means no real recovery for the players who are there, neither physically nor mentally. An NBA player, who also earns a big salary, has a four-month break every year. This is what (Liverpool defender) Virgil van Dijk got in his entire career.”

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