Compliments to Gabriel Martinelli and Martin Odegaard from Pep Guardiola

DBasia.news – A second-half goal scored by Nathan Ake put Manchester City on the winning side in the long-awaited first meeting of the season. After the match, Pep Guardiola expressed his satisfaction with the way the team dealt with Arsenal’s two main threats.

“We coped well, but of course [Gabriel] Martinelli is an extraordinary weapon,” Guardiola told reporters. “Then [Martin] Odegaard came in and they played in that little pocket. They are a great team, otherwise they wouldn’t be where they are. They are aggressive, they know exactly what to do, all the details they controlled perfectly well.”

The Gunners’ excellent first half of the season saw them five points clear of City having played one game fewer. But the last meeting will give hope to the Manchester City side that they can still catch up to Mikel Arteta’s team.

The rivals are now shifting their focus on the league. City will face Tottenham and Aston Villa, while Arsenal face Everton and Brentford before the Gunners host City on February 15.