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Pep Guardiola admitted his side were “tired” and second best against Arsenal on New Year’s Day, but he was delighted to see Manchester City score a rare late goal.

City managed to extend their Premier League winning run to 11 games as Rodri scored in injury time to settle a heated contest against 10-man Arsenal. Guardiola’s side had not been at the races until they were awarded a penalty on 57 minutes. Riyad Mahrez converted to cancel out Bukayo Saka’s opener before Rodri struck in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 victory.

An ill-tempered affair had seen Gabriel Magalhaes sent off after being booked twice inside two minutes. Arsenal were impressive but were unable to hold on for a deserved point.

And City boss Guardiola admitted his squad, who has been hit by Covid-19, looked jaded.

“Just take a look at our bench, four players from the academy. We had many cases for Covid and injuries. Phil Foden… Kyle and Rodri were first days today from Covid time,” said Guardiola.

“In this period today we were incredibly tired. Arsenal were better today but football happens.

‘They were better’

“Congratulations, they were better. We face a team who struggled to be in top four and start the season at the bottom. Now they are in the top four.

“They had six or seven days since the last game at Norwich. We had two days since Brentford and come back and didn’t have a team. That’s why we put one more player in the middle.

“To have more control and passes. We know in the transitions with Saka and Martinelli, contact with Lacazette. Should be difficult and it was difficult, we didn’t have energy.

“We tried, in the second half, one minute changed with the penalty, one minute the own goal and the sending off. We try to analyse many things, sometimes the coin falls on your side sometimes the other side.

“And we know how it means to win at The Emirates at the moment and the good team they are. It was difficult and know we have time to rest.

“We are not a team to score a goal in 90 minutes or extra time, I don’t remember the last time. Maybe two or three seasons ago when Raheem puts the ball in the Southampton net. I don’t remember other times.

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Guardiola: ‘We are not a team with this characteristic’

“We are not a team with this characteristic. With 10 v 11, they changed to five at the back.  Just don’t make stupid mistakes and try to win the game.

“I didn’t see the penalty for them because they didn’t show it on the screen, they showed it on the screen for Bernardo.

“Arsenal do it well. It was a penalty but I didn’t see the potential penalty for Odegaard because I didn’t it see on the screen,” said Guardiola.

“They were better. Arsenal were better today.”

“But football happened in that situation and sometimes it comes on our side.”

Pep Guardiola praised his players for showing character while low on energy, but admits Arsenal had the better of the play.

@TheDesKelly pic.twitter.com/jDH5x4cG3j

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 1, 2022

Rodri was delighted to see City over the line.

“This kind of game, you always have two or three in a season. They’re an unbelievable team, they show why they’re in that position. The way they grow with Mikel is huge, massive.

“We knew it. They had six days to prepare, we had three games in a week with travels, it’s tough.

“Sometimes when you don’t have physicality you have to play more easy. We struggled in the first half, second half we controlled it a bit more and could do more our game, but sometimes it’s like this, the other teams plays, in the stadium they press a lot.

Rodri: We pushed and never dropped

“They did a good game but fortunately we saw our champions personality so we want to go again.

“I’ve learned from the last years you have to push always no matter what happens. We were 1-0 down in the break. Suddenly things change.

“Our mentality, we didn’t do a great game, we pushed, never dropped, always thought it was possible. In the 90 minutes, I don’t know what I was doing there with Laporte. It was crazy but three points are vital.

“I have no doubt about the [City] penalty. I had doubt in the first action, I didn’t know if there was enough contact but I get close to the screen and it’s a clear penalty.

“And I didn’t watch [the Odegaard shout] in the screen like I did for the second penalty.”

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