Pep Guardiola admits Man City’s confidence is ‘fragile’ after 5-1 defeat by Arsenal – as his side concede four goals for the FOURTH time this season

A frustrated Pep Guardiola said his Manchester City team’s second-half collapse was because of a fragility which has happened ‘so many times’.

Erling Haaland put the Manchester club level on 55 minutes with a headed effort to cancel out Martin Odegaard’s strike, before Arsenal soon ran riot with a further four goals. 

It is the first time in Guardiola’s career that a team managed by him has conceded four goals or more four times in a single campaign.

‘The feeling is why we have not done in the last 20, 25 minutes what we had done well for the first 60,’ said Guardiola. ‘Now we have to reflect and talk with the players and hope that it doesn’t happen again.

‘The priority was long balls and what happened every time we put long balls? We lost them. They (Arsenal) came back stronger. Playing long balls against (William) Saliba and Gabriel is not easy — not even for Erling, for any striker.

‘The game was well played but of course, when you play like that in the last 20 minutes, everyone was tired and affected emotionally but it’s what we had to learn.’

Guardiola later admitted confidence is ‘fragile’ within the City camp after their recent struggles

Asked whether their second-half collapse was due to his squad’s fragile confidence after a season that has seen Man City lose seven Premier League games already, he added: ‘It can be fragile because it happens so many times. But we have a duty to learn and there are always margins to get better.’

John Stones was left visibly frustrated by the leaky display and apologised to the travelling fans.

Stone said: ‘It is difficult. I think all of us don’t take losing well. It is hard to put into words straight after a game like that. Pride hurts. Sorry to the fans that have travelled to come and watch that.

‘How we played in the last 30 minutes was not acceptable. Personally and collectively, it’s not us.

‘It is not nice to be involved in that when you know it’s not your team in those situations. Credit to Arsenal, this is not an easy place to come to. For 65 minutes, we played some great football at times.

‘We were in the game and it was a swinging point. It swung the wrong way for us. I am angry, upset personally and collectively about how the game finished.’