Guardiola makes statement about Arteta that will excite Arsenal supporters

Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have a long history together. Arteta spent three years as an assistant coach under Guardiola at Manchester City, helping the team to two Premier League titles, one FA Cup, and two League Cups. During this time, the two developed a strong bond and mutual respect for each other.

In a recent interview, Guardiola spoke fondly of his former assistant coach and revealed that Arteta was a supporter of Arsenal even while working for City.

“He’s a supporter of Arsenal. He always jumped and celebrated [our goals] except against one team. I’d jump and when I turned around, he was sitting there. That team was Arsenal” said Guardiola telling the media in a press conference.

This anecdote speaks volumes about the character of Arteta who was able to remain professional despite his allegiance to another club. It also shows how much respect he had for Arsenal even though the gunners hadn’t already considered having him as their manager, and this quote by Guardiola will excite the Arsenal supporters as their current boss has won over their hearts.

Arteta has since gone on to become the manager of Arsenal himself, taking over from Unai Emery in December 2019. Since then, he has been credited with bringing stability back to the club after a turbulent period under Emery’s leadership. He has also been praised for his tactical acumen and ability to get the best out of his players on the pitch.

The two will meet again on Friday when Arsenal face Manchester City in the FA Cup fourth round at the Etihad Stadium. It will be an interesting encounter between two managers who have such close ties but it is clear that both men have immense respect for each other regardless of which team they are managing on the day.