“I Love Pep”: Arteta Responds to Guardiola After Man City Boss Declared ‘War’
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has responded diplomatically to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, following the latter’s provocative remarks ahead of Arsenal’s dramatic 4-2 victory over Leicester City on Saturday. Tensions had escalated throughout the week after Guardiola declared ‘war’ during a press conference, in reaction to Arteta’s post-match comments following a contentious 2-2 draw between the two sides.
However, in the aftermath of Arsenal’s thrilling injury-time win, Arteta made a public effort to ease the growing friction between him and his former mentor.
“I can repeat it very clearly: I love Pep,” Arteta stated in his post-match interview. “I have admired him since I was 10 years old. I respect him profoundly, and I’m so grateful for everything he did for me and continues to do for me.”
Despite the recent spat, Arteta insisted that his relationship with Guardiola remains strong. “I consider him to be a friend. I love and respect every member of staff there [at City] because I worked with them for four years,” he added.
Guardiola’s ire had been sparked by Arteta’s comments following their previous meeting at the Etihad, where the Arsenal boss hinted at City’s use of “dark arts,” which some took as a subtle reference to Manchester City’s ongoing legal battle over 115 Premier League charges. Guardiola publicly demanded clarification from Arteta, interpreting the remark as an accusation.
Arteta was quick to dispel any notion that his words were meant to fuel the controversy. “When I said that ‘I know them,’ I meant I know how hard they work,” he clarified. “I haven’t seen a human being work as hard as Pep and the coaches at that club. The reason they are there is because they maintain the hunger.”
Arteta emphasized that his comments were meant to praise City’s work ethic rather than insinuate anything negative. “If someone wants to damage our relationship, that’s not in my hands. But that feeling is profound. He knows it, the staff knows it, and I still maintain that relationship today,” he concluded.
Arteta’s remarks came on the heels of Arsenal’s late win, sealed by a Wilfred Ndidi own goal and a Kai Havertz strike, lifting his side to second in the Premier League.
“I think we were unbelievable today,” Arteta said of his team’s performance. “We deserved to win by many more goals.”
“I Love Pep”: Arteta Responds to Guardiola After Man City Boss Declared ‘War’
