Jose Mourinho is not a man who tends to go out of his way to praise Pep Guardiola. But, in this instance, the former Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur coach has to accept that the Man City boss has got one thing very right .
It took Guardiola six years to finally lift the coveted Champions League trophy with the Etihad Stadium outfit.
And, for Mourinho, it is no coincidence that Man City finally got their mitts on ‘Ol Big Ears’ after the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss accepted the need for more than just pint-sized technicians and tempo-setting pass-masters.
Man City’s long-awaited European success, Guardiola’s old La Liga rival tells The Telegraph, came about largely because the Spaniard embraced the ‘physical’ as well as the technical, broad-shouldered giants such as Erling Haaland, Rodri and Manuel Akanji giving his side a different dimension.
Jose Mourinho hails Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta
“Thinking (about) how many Champions League years Man City were not successful, and the difference in the season they were successful,” Mourinho muses.
“And I go immediately in one direction. Look at the physicality.”
Mikel Arteta, a former assistant coach to Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium, appears to have taken a leaf out of his old mentor’s playbook. That 0-0 draw between Arsenal and City – an insomnia-curing stalemate to some but an intriguing tactical battle to those who share Arrigo Sacchi’s view of the game – may recall two sides setting up with four centre-backs apiece, without an orthodox full-back in sight.
“Look to Manchester City. Look to Arsenal, just to give two examples,” adds the veteran Portuguese.
“How many central defenders do they have in the team? Sometimes, they have six. As a matter of principle. Then, they play in other positions. They play right-back, left-back, they play midfield. But they play with five or six central defenders on the pitch.
“Why? They feel the need for defensive stability and a defensive compactness.”
Conceding only 26 goals in 33 Premier League games – another clean sheet coming during Saturday’s 2-0 win at Wolves – it’s fair to say Arteta’s approach is reaping rewards. The Pep protege, it seems, has a streak of Mourinho-esque ruthlessness in him, Arsenal’s success built not only upon their fluid frontline but an outstanding defensive record.
Jakub Kiwior growing as a left-back
Mourinho is impressed by the way Arteta has utilised Jakub Kiwior – a centre-half by trade – as a left-back, feeling that the Poland international is often favoured over the more technical but sometimes lightweight Oleksandr Zinchenko due to his ability to win duels and defend set-pieces.
“We made a decision to bring him in (from Spezia in January 2023) because we believed that, whichever player we were going to sign to have the role, that he was going to need time. And that was the case,” Arteta explains, Kiwior impressive now after a sluggish start to life in the capital.
“And we have made it difficult for him for two reasons. One, because he hasn’t played that many minutes. And the second one because we asked him to play in a position that he’s never played in before.
“So it’s like putting William Saliba as a full-back, and saying; “There we go. Tomorrow, go and perform and do what we have to do!’. And I think (Kiwior) has adapted really well.
“I think he’s playing better and better, you can tell that he’s earning the confidence and physically he’s better, he understands the role much better and he’s been really good.”