Pep Guardiola is livid with Mikel Arteta over comments made by the Arsenal manager following last Sunday's contentious draw at Manchester City, feeling betrayed by his former assistant. These sentiments are believed to be prevalent at City, where Arteta served as a coach from 2016 to 2019. Arteta claimed on Tuesday that he had 'all the information' about his former club, prompting Guardiola to urge him on Friday to clarify his statements and come out of the 'clouds.' Although Guardiola was cautious with his words during his press conference, he is privately enraged by Arteta's remarks, considering him a friend he once mentored.
Guardiola expected more loyalty from Arteta, who he mentored at City and even advocated for when Arsenal approached him mid-season. Arteta expressed his love, respect, and admiration for Guardiola, asserting that their relationship remained unaffected. However, it is evident that Guardiola does not share this view. Arteta's comments, which led to the rift, were in response to questions about City players' complaints regarding Arsenal's 'dark arts' tactics. 'I have been there before, I was there for four years,' Arteta said. 'I have all the information. So I know. Believe me.'
These remarks prompted Guardiola to respond, 'Next time, Mikel has to be more clear.' Guardiola questioned what Arteta meant by 'knowing exactly what happened here,' suggesting it could be related to the ongoing charges against City. Guardiola does not plan to contact Arteta for clarification, having already exchanged texts after the game.
The fallout from the match also saw more conflict, with Erling Haaland bouncing the ball off Gabriel's head during celebrations. Gabriel described it as 'normal to have provocative acts in football,' a sentiment echoed by Guardiola when discussing Haaland's behavior. Arteta, however, insisted their relationship was unaffected, stating, 'I love him, I respect him, I admire him and I admire his team and everything that he does.' He brushed off criticism from Roy Keane but admitted he cared about Guardiola's opinion.
Arteta emphasized that their friendship could withstand the intense rivalry, saying, 'If our relationship was damaged because one draws and the other one wins, I would not talk to him any more.' He also noted that he enjoyed the intense rivalry with Guardiola and City, preferring it over false praise. Arsenal hopes to have summer signing Mikel Merino available next week to alleviate their injury concerns, with Arteta stressing the importance of listening to players' complaints about playing too many matches.
