RLB POST CITY

Regis Le Bris praised his squad after a hard-fought draw against Manchester City, singling out Eliezer Mayenda in his return to the starting 11. He gave a brief fitness update on Brian Brobbey who limped straight down the tunnel after coming off, and also spoke about Man City's title race and how they compare to Arsenal...

CITY V ARSENAL

"They are really good. It will be a question of consistency, it’s always the case. They are a bit different, but I think they are competitive for the title. I think probably in a few words, I would say Arsenal are a bit more clinical, a bit more direct with their ability to score, even if it’s not pass, pass, pass. Here, we can feel the identity of Pep Guardiola. Even if Mikel Arteta is Spanish as well, I think Guardiola is impressive in the way he can build up the play."

MAYENDA DID WELL

“I'm really happy for Eli, for example, because he started the season, then struggled a bit for different reasons, and he stayed connected with the squad. I told the lads in the dressing room that even if you don't play, it shows that when you have your opportunity, if you train properly, if you stay positive, you will have this opportunity and it will be good when you start."

TACTICALLY FLEXIBLE

"He showed today that he can be at the level in another position. It was totally different from the start of the season when he played as a striker. Here he played in a hybrid role with important defensive tasks in the deep block, for example. I'm really confident with him because he has great quality and he's still really young. He's learning from different experiences and he's probably a bit more versatile as well, which is really important for a manager.”

DESERVED AT LEAST A POINT

“One more good point against one of the best teams in Europe. With many threats, they can score from everywhere, from different phases. I think we defended well. We were bold to press high, a bit more consistent in the midblock, I think. In the defensive third, we were consistent. It was like a hybrid system. we used this system at Liverpool once. I thought it was a good option today, because if you drop too early in your back five, you can't face, over the full game, their ability to manage the ball and create chances. I think it went well. With the ball, I think we showed many good things as well."

REVERSE FIXTURE

“We struggled when we played away against City to escape their counter-press, they were impressive. They were good again today, but I think we were better this time. I think this point helped us to manage the ball and to breathe, because it's important to have the ball. We created chances as well. Our low build-up was good, especially during the first half.”

SQUAD DEPTH

"I told you before the AFCON that we don't have to set a limit before because I think we have many good players. Obviously, they have to learn, they have to show their quality on the pitch. But what we see every day on the training pitch, they have good profiles and if you give them the structure, the confidence, great leaders, I think they can play well. For example, Dennis, Eli today were good."

BROBBEY SHOULD BE FINE

"He was feeling tight but I don't think at the moment that it is anything serious."