MANCHESTER -- Pep Guardiola said he is more convinced than ever that his playing style will be a success with Manchester City.
The City boss has been criticised for his approach after successive defeats to Chelsea and Leicester City and saying that he wasn't too concerned about his side's poor tackling.
But Guardiola insists his approach is pragmatic and says he is still adapting to life in England with City seven points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea.
The Spaniard faces Arsenal on Sunday, whose manager Arsene Wenger has also come under fire after not winning the title in 12 years, but Guardiola says there is room in England for attractive and open football.
"I am so pragmatic. Look at my past, I am so pragmatic," he told a news conference. "I'm here because I won. I want to win. I'm so pragmatic, guys. Concede few goals and score goals.
"I'm going to adapt, I am adapting to the league. Actually, I am adapting to the quality of my players but the way I am going to play, every day that pass, I am more convinced in what I want to do.
"I said last day, last press conference again -- if I am not able, I would not be able. So I will do that."
Guardiola later told Sky Sports the combative nature of the Prem stands out when compared to other leagues in which he's managed.
"I try to play in one way all my career and here, for example with high pressing, when they have the ball we go to pick them up, it is not allowed, because it is not allowed. Many times the ball is more in the air than the grass, and I have to adapt," Guardiola said.
"I was in Munich and spoke with Xabi Alonso, and he said: 'You have to adapt, it's the second ball, the second ball!' But really, you have to adapt to the second ball, and the third ball, and the fourth!
"I never before was focused on that, because in Barcelona or in Spain, more or less the players try to play for the culture.
"That's why they won World Cups, and they won the Euros, won the Champions Leagues, the Europa Leagues, all the time, all of the years, Spanish teams are in the latter stages, all of the teams.
"In Germany it was more physical, but not like here. Here it is all the teams, except maybe Chelsea because Antonio [Conte] is playing really well and having them build up, but the other teams are taller, stronger, physical, and you have to adapt and build from that."
Arsenal are unlikely to play defensively and on the counter-attack like many of the sides that have troubled City this season -- particularly at home where they have won just once in their last five games.
Wenger has beaten Guardiola twice in eight attempts and never away from home but the City boss says the Gunners have the quality to win if his players are not totally committed.
"If we play well, we are going to defend," he said about their recent defensive problems. "If we are lazy and we are not strong enough, they have the quality.
"I'm not going to talk about Arsenal in the last 15 or 20 years, and the commander-in-chief Arsene Wenger. We played against Arsenal many times when I was in Barcelona and Bayern Munich. We met each other quite well. We have a lot of respect.
"Arsenal always has a huge quality. They buy the right people, good players. Fast players up front, they can defend well, use perfectly the counter-attack. [They are] a good team."
City will be without suspended duo Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho, while Ilkay Gundogan, Vincent Kompany and Fabian Delph are all ruled out through injury.