Mikel Arteta recently disclosed the message he received from Pep Guardiola following Arsenal’s victory over Manchester City just before the international break. Arsenal had been enduring a dismal 14-game losing streak against the Premier League champions until their recent triumph, which saw them win 1-0, courtesy of Gabriel Martinelli’s late, deflected goal.
This win came on the heels of another narrow victory over City in August during the Community Shield, where Arsenal emerged victorious in a penalty shootout after a dramatic last-minute equalizer. As a result of these successes, Arsenal climbed to second place in the league, creating a two-point gap between them and City, with only north London rivals Tottenham ahead of them.
Arteta, who had honed his managerial skills as Guardiola’s assistant at City, expressed that his former mentor was effusive in his praise for Arteta’s team. After the game, Arteta conversed with Guardiola, acknowledging the intense and emotional nature of the match, but he emphasized that their relationship remained intact. Although he admitted to losing more games than he had won against Guardiola, Arteta noted that the atmosphere was notably different in their last two encounters, with Guardiola commending Arsenal as a terrific team.
Leave a Reply