Without the ball, Arsenal don't employ any of the systematic, concerted pressing in the opposition half that has been a key component of Guardiola's transformative success at Barcelona and Bayern.
Arsenal don't need a serious overhaul, only a few tweaks and expensive strategic additions. What they will require, however, is a new, more flexible mindset -- Guardiola expects his team to vary their approach and formations in accordance with the specific needs of every single game -- and a much harder dressing room culture in which any finish short of titles and trophies will be considered a grave disappointment.
Chelsea
It's almost forgotten now, but when Jose Mourinho, the self-proclaimed "Happy One," returned to Stamford Bridge in 2013, he found that all the furniture had been rearranged by owner Roman Abramovich in anticipation of another co-habitant. The squad list then was a thinly disguised love letter to Guardiola, drafted to entice the Catalan to West London. But it was Mourinho who ended up in charge of a side that had become much more technical, with more flair players, since his departure six years earlier.
Elements of Chelsea's current malaise can be traced back to that mismatch. Mourinho has always preferred soldiers to artists. Even though the Blues won the Premier League without breaking into much of a sweat last season, this campaign has seen the worst of both worlds. Creative players such as Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas have underperformed dramatically, and the much more physical threat of Nemanja Matic, Diego Costa and co has been greatly diminished, too. Chelsea, on the whole, are low on inspiration.
Manchester City
In the spring of this year, sources close to owner Sheikh Mansour revealed that Guardiola had agreed to take over from current manager Manuel Pellegrini at the start of the 2015/16 season. Guardiola, however, stayed in Munich, and Pellegrini's contract was renewed for another year.
The "Guardiola to Man City" rumour kicked into high gear again this autumn, with a slight change of starting date (2016/17) amid reports of contracts being signed.
There's no doubt that Guardiola enjoys an excellent working relationship with Txiki Begiristain and Ferran Soriano, the former Barcelona officials now occupying the roles of director of football and CEO, respectively, at the Etihad. And there's no doubt that both of them have been trying hard to lure him to Man City. What's far less clear is the question of any firm agreement being in place.
Manchester United
In Marti Perarnau's seminal account of Guardiola's first season at Bayern, "Pep Confidential," the manager talks of his admiration and respect for England's record champions. This has led to plenty of speculation over the years, and these particular flames have been further fanned by sources at Bayern, who believe that United, due to their heritage and status, would be a better fit for the manager after Barcelona and Munich than, say, Man City.
Following in Louis van Gaal's footsteps for a third time -- the Dutchman laid much of the groundwork for Bayern's step up the food chain in recent years -- would make sense at a tactical level, but it's fair to say that United's progress has been much slower than anticipated. United would likely welcome Guardiola with a bulging war chest, but does the club have the competence to target the right players beyond the three or four superstars Ed Woodward has been trying to sign, to no avail, since the end of the Ferguson era?
Chances of Guardiola taking over at Manchester United in 2016: Plenty of appeal for Pep, but City still the better bet.
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