Pep Guardiola has admitted that Manchester City will not be able to control the game as they normally do when they take on Arsenal.
City will look to eat up more ground on Premier League leaders Arsenal when the London side visit the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday.
City currently trail Mikel Arteta’s side by five points, although the reigning champions have two games in hand.
The Gunners have seen their lead at the top shrink in recent weeks after drawing three games in succession, the most recent a 3-3 thriller with Southampton on Friday.
City have won their last six league games and are unbeaten in their last 16 matches in all competitions, but Guardiola has conceded that his side might not be able to play their usual game against their title rivals.
“When you play against these types of teams, they control everything,” he said on Friday.
“Arsenal always have incredible details and care with the ball, the players they select to play are of the biggest qualities and skills and I think Mikel [Arteta] brings a different dimension.
“They are so aggressive, they can go to Anfield against the team [Liverpool] who has been the best in transitions in recent years and they were better.
“In the two games we played this season, we felt we have to challenge them on those terms. The quality they have in the build-up, on the second balls, it’s difficult.
“When a team decides to be aggressive, there is always spaces. It will not be a game when one team has 65, 70 per cent possession tomorrow. It’s not going to happen.”
Although he admitted his side will not have things all their own way, Guardiola rejected the idea that his side must be perfect in order to get a result.
“Perfection doesn’t exist in football. You cannot be perfect and win the game.
“We know what happened with Bayern Munich and what will happen in the future your standard has to be so, so high because teams demand you to be really good. We will try to impose our game.”
