Friends Before Rivals
Arteta and Guardiola first met at Barcelona’s La Masia academy when Arteta was 15, later working closely together during Arteta’s three-year stint on Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City. Since Arteta became Arsenal manager in 2019, the two clubs have often battled at the top of the Premier League, with City typically prevailing.
Ahead of Saturday’s trip to Leeds, Arsenal sit four points clear at the top, while City continue their chase, having claimed six of the last eight league titles. Guardiola recently praised Arsenal as "the best team in the world," referencing City’s experience in sustaining title challenges late into the season as the Gunners attempt to end a Premier League trophy drought of more than 20 years.
Arteta draws Federer-Nadal parallel
When asked whether Guardiola’s remarks were a form of mind games, Arteta brushed off the idea: "With me? I don't think so. We don't talk like with my wife every three days but we talk generally. He talks about how he feels and that's it. If there are mind games, there are mind games but I don't pay too much attention because at the end you have to go on the pitch and deliver."
Arteta emphasized that maintaining respect despite rivalry is vital in elite sport, citing Nadal and Federer, who won 42 Grand Slam titles combined while preserving a strong friendship: "For me the surprising thing would be not to [maintain that relationship]. I think it would be a really bad example for sport. In sport you have to learn and probably the biggest lesson that sport has given us is the relationship that for example that Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer had. I am not at that level at all. But one of the best in the history, or the two best sportsmen, the relationship they have between them when they have to play a final, one against one against each other, so how am I not going to have a great relationship with someone that I admire, I worked with and is a colleague? But it is the same as any other opponent. When it goes to the court, to the pitch, that's for the winner."
City aiming to close the gap
City have looked to narrow the gap this month with Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo signings totaling £84m, a move Arteta said came as no surprise: "That's business. I know what they are going to do and what they've been doing over the last 10-15 years. Obviously, no surprise. They want to win and they will do everything they can to win."
Arsenal expect William Saliba and Jurrien Timber to return for the Leeds trip after missing the midweek Champions League win over Kairat Almaty, though the team will remain cautious after a recent home defeat to Manchester United in the Premier League.
