Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has said that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta missed Ben White and Thomas Partey today, as quoted in The Manchester Evening News.
What’s the story?
Arsenal went down 5-0 to City away from home at the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League today.
It was a hugely disappointing performance from the Gunners, who played most of the match with 10 men due to the sending-off of midfielder Granit Xhaka in the first half.
What does Pep Guardiola think?
City manager Guardiola has praised Arsenal manager Arteta, and has said that the Gunners missed central defender White and defensive midfielder Partey today.
White did not play as he has been diagnosed with coronavirus, while Partey was injured.
The Manchester Evening News quotes Guardiola as saying: “The squad he played today isn’t the team he dreamed because they had seven or eight injuries.
“Really important players. Ben White, Thomas Partey. He can’t use the players he needs to do it. All the managers need the deep squad.”
Could White and Partey have made a difference?
Arsenal were defensively poor and really did not offer much in attack against City today.
Arteta’s side had one shot which was not on target.
The Gunners were overrun in the middle of the park and were pushed back deep into their own half.
The sending-off of Xhaka did not help, but Arsenal were already 2-0 down at that stage.
White, signed from Brighton and Hove Albion this summer, has not been great for Arsenal so far this season.
The former Leeds United loanee probably would not have made much of a difference for the Gunners, especially when they were down to 10 men.
Partey could have.
The former Atletico Madrid star is an imposing figure in the middle of the park and would have made Arsenal stronger in midfield.
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