Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has affirmed his continued admiration for Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, despite their teams’ tense encounter last weekend. The match, which ended in a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium, saw John Stones rescue a point for City with a stoppage-time equalizer. Arsenal had been reduced to 10 men after Leandro Trossard’s red card before halftime.
Despite City’s dominance in possession, they struggled to break down an Arsenal side that employed time-wasting tactics and committed several fouls. This prompted criticism from City players John Stones and Bernardo Silva, who accused Arsenal of using the “dark arts” of football to disrupt their flow.
Arteta, who was Guardiola’s assistant at City before taking over at Arsenal, insisted that the events on the pitch would not affect his personal relationship with Guardiola. “I love him, I respect him and I admire him, his team, and everything that he does,” Arteta said in a press conference on Friday, ahead of Arsenal’s upcoming match against Leicester City. He added, “This is a sport — one thing is our profession and the other is our personal relationship.”
Arteta downplayed the suggestion that it might be difficult to maintain a friendship when the stakes in such matches are high. “It’s quite simple — don’t take it personally, it’s part of our job,” he remarked. “That relationship, I really care about. It’s the same with a lot of people in their staff and players that I spent some very important years of my life with.”
Arsenal, currently unbeaten and sitting fourth in the Premier League table, are two points behind league leaders Manchester City after five games. Arteta’s team will also face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League next week. However, the availability of goalkeeper David Raya for the Leicester match remains uncertain after he sustained an injury in the clash against City. “We have to wait 24 hours to see if he’s looking good or not that good,” Arteta said regarding Raya’s fitness.
The result at the Etihad added another chapter to the growing rivalry between the two clubs, with Arsenal finishing second to City in the Premier League in the past two seasons.
