Pep Guardiola slams 'bulls**t' claims over role in Mikel Arteta & Arsenal's success
By Tom Gott
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has denied claims he is responsible for turning Mikel Arteta and Arsenal into the Premier League-leading side taking over the 2022/23 season.
Arteta worked under Guardiola as City's assistant between 2016 and 2019 before swapping the Etihad for the Emirates, and after a rough start with Arsenal, he has lead the Gunners to the top of the Premier League table this season.
The two friends will butt heads once again on Friday in the FA Cup fourth round, before which Guardiola revealed the exact moment he knew what the future held for Arteta.
“I remember the first game we play against Sunderland,” Guardiola said. “We play against David Moyes. “He [Arteta] said. ‘I know him well, he was at Everton, he does this and that'.
“After 15 minutes, half an hour, I said, ‘Yeah, this is the guy to help me to anticipate’.”
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While Guardiola's impact on Arteta is undeniable, the City manager was adamant that he deserves no credit and all the praise should be focused on Arteta for his ability to bring Arsenal back to the top of the table.
“What I see in Arsenal belongs to Mikel and his people,” said Guardiola. “I would like to say ‘Yeah, what they do is because I teach him’. Bulls**t.
“I am 52 years old. I’ve been in Arsenal for one day, when they allowed us to train to win the Champions League against [Manchester] United [in 2011]. That’s the only time I’ve been in the Arsenal training centre. Sorry United!
“They play with wingers higher than the midfielders like us - yeah. But all the methodology, the process, with the character, the mentality, the set pieces, a thousand million things - that belongs to them.”