Arteta, Guardiola Are Fine

LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insists there is no disagreement with his old friend Pep Guardiola ahead of a crucial clash against Manchester City this weekend.

Previously, City players accused Arsenal of using dirty tactics in a tense match that ended in a 2-2 draw last September.

In the match, City midfielder Rodri suffered a serious knee injury while Arsenal were forced to play with 10 men after Leandro Trossard was sent off.

The match also saw a tense incident in which City striker Erling Haaland sparked controversy by throwing the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes after a late equaliser by John Stones.

Arteta, who was Guardiola’s assistant at City before taking over at Arsenal in 2019, denied their relationship had suffered.

“I was there for four years. I know how competitive they are. They win and win, that’s what I mean,” he said at a media conference today.

Commenting further on speculation of a strained relationship between them, Arteta said: “If there was a problem, we wouldn’t be on the phone or texting. But that’s what happened, so there’s no issue.”

Guardiola has previously dismissed claims of a strained relationship, describing his friendship with Arteta as “extraordinary.”

This Sunday’s match is important for both teams in the English Premier League.

Arsenal, who are currently in second place, are six points behind Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

City, meanwhile, are in fourth place and are looking to close the gap in points in their bid to defend the league title.