Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola refused to blame his defenders for their FA Cup semifinal defeat to Arsenal on Saturday.
Instead, Guardiola was more agitated by a lack of potency and energy on the ball, with City boasting 71 per cent of possession but only managing one shot on target.
"The defence was not a problem," Guardiola said. "There were counter attacks and we made a mistake for one but it was not a problem. How many counter attacks did they use, maybe one or two? No more than this.
"It was not about the tactics. I'm not sure how many chances we had. Possession is part of it but it's how many chances you create through the possession.
"In the first half we were not there, we were not ready for a semi-final of the FA Cup."
Guardiola wanted more from his key protagonists to unlock Arsenal's rearguard.
"They have to (motivate themselves). As managers, we are not here to motivate them or tell them what to do. They have to do it.
"I don't have to tell them. They should feel it. They know it. They know the standards we need at these stages."
