‘I'm not naive to that’ - Guardiola takes a jibe at Arsenal, claims he will not follow the set-piece trend

The Gunners have been the most in-form team in the Premier League this season and are currently top of the league.

However, most of their goals this season have come from set pieces, which has led to a lot of concerns for rival fans.

The average of 2.6 goals per game is the lowest since 2017, and the ball is in play for just over 55 minutes per match.

Despite this, Guardiola, whose team are the only side yet to score from a set piece, has claimed that he will continue to prioritise open-play football.

Guardiola’s team recently conceded a winner from a corner against Aston Villa, but has stressed the importance of controlling games to limit such opportunities for opponents.

"Every manager does what they believe," he added. "I want to score from free kicks and corners—I'm not naive to that. 

“But I spend my time on what we have to do to play better, attack better, and create chances. To score goals."

"I will, until the end, continue to work mainly on our game. And sometimes adapt, when we have to do it," Guardiola said.

Manchester City will now focus their attention on the Carabao Cup game against Swansea as the team looks to get back to winning ways.