Pep Guardiola has urged Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta to explain what he meant when he said that he has all the information about Manchester City.
Arteta made the remarks after Arsenal’s English Premier League match against City at the Etihad Stadium ended in a 2-2 draw, after City players complained of the tactics employed by Arsenal’s defensive line.
Arteta stated after the match, when answering questions about his experience at City, “I was there for four years before coming here. I know. Believe me.”
Pep Guardiola, who claims to have a “good relationship” with Arteta, heaped praise on the Spaniard’s management at Arsenal prior to the clash at the Etihad in a recent report from Sportsbuddy, seeing them as their main challenger, but recent reports now suggest that the Catalan is upset with his former deputy.
When asked if he felt that the remarks were betrayal, Guardiola said, “No, because we spoke by text after the game, and that’s all.”
Pep Guardiola Asks for More Clarity
Subsequently, in a callback, Pep Guardiola vented his anger and asked Arteta to be more precise. “Next time, Mikel has to be more clear.
What does it mean exactly? He was here for 4 years, and then he got up and told us, ‘We know who did what here.’ Perhaps it’s associated with the indefinite ongoing 130 charges? He knows something about that, maybe… I don’t know.
The War of Words Continues on the Pitch
The rivalry between City and Arsenal went beyond verbal expressions, as there were heated moments during the game.
When John Stones equalised deep into the injury time, Erling Haaland decided to provoke his opponent by bouncing the ball off the head of defender Gabriel Magalhães.
To this, Gabriel replied, “It is a war, and if that is a war, it is normal to have provocative acts in football.”
🔵🔥 “You provoke me? Ok, here I’m. You want a war? Ok, now we war”.
Pep Guardiola ⤵️🎥 @HaytersTVpic.twitter.com/OPYOQZw4Hd
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 27, 2024
Speaking to HaytersTV, Pep Guardiola echoed these sentiments, adding, “Gabriel said it perfectly after the match: ‘This is a war; we’re here to provoke the opponent.’ What can you do? You provoke me, I’m there. If you want a war, now we have war.”
Despite the heated exchanges, Arteta insisted that his personal relationship with Guardiola remains intact, saying, “I love him, I respect him, and I admire him and his team.
This is sport, and there’s a difference between our profession and our personal relationship.”
