Mikel Arteta emphasizes that his friendship with Pep Guardiola will not be affected as Arsenal strive to dethrone Manchester City. Arteta also addresses criticism of his team’s tactics.
BollywoodFever: Mikel Arteta has made it clear that his relationship with Pep Guardiola will not be damaged by the fierce rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City, as the Gunners aim to challenge City’s reign over English football. Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s match against Leicester City at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, Arteta stressed that his personal relationship with Guardiola, his former mentor, remains strong.
“I love him, I respect him, I admire him,” Arteta said of Guardiola. “One thing is our profession, another is our personal relationship… In sport, it will never get in my way.”
This comes after Arsenal’s intense 2-2 draw with Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium last weekend, where players clashed, and Arsenal were criticized for engaging in “dark arts” to manage the game. Despite these accusations, Arteta remains focused on his team’s progress and dismissed suggestions that his tactics reflected a “small team mentality,” as claimed by pundits Graeme Souness and Roy Keane.
Arteta defended his approach during the match, where Arsenal played with 10 men after Leandro Trossard’s dismissal, and City’s John Stones equalized in the 98th minute. “I did what I believed was the right thing to be as competitive as possible,” he explained.
The Gunners have had a strong start to the season with 11 points from five matches, including wins over Aston Villa and Tottenham. Arteta acknowledged the high expectations placed on his team but emphasized his desire to make Arsenal fans proud rather than silence critics.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s game, Arteta will need to assess the fitness of goalkeeper David Raya, while Mikel Merino remains unavailable for his debut.
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