Pep Guardiola shares what he texted Mikel Arteta after Manchester City’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal
Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta shook hands after Manchester City and Arsenal shared the spoils in their latest 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
Guardiola and Arteta worked with each other at City and as a result, their relationship is not expected to sour anytime soon despite the growing rivalry between both clubs.
Both managers would be determined to usurp one another in individual games and at the end of the season.
However, that is simply a nature of the job.
Manchester City would be determined to showcase the Gunners that they still remain the top dogs of the Premier League.
While Arsenal will be hoping to prove to themselves that they are the superior team to the Sky Blues by winning the title next year.
Guardiola reveals post-match texts with Arteta
Being a pair of fierce competitors, both sets of tacticians would have wondered where their respective teams went wrong during Sunday’s clash.
Pep Guardiola would have been left wondering how he can improve his Manchester City side in terms of breaking down low blocks.
Mikel Arteta may have contemplated whether his Arsenal side could have been more adventurous in the second half and why they conceded a scrappy late goal.
However, both coaches would perhaps have continued to respect how their respective sides operated after the contest.
Both teams were certainly tested to the limit at the Etihad Stadium.
Pep Guardiola revealed that he texted Mikel Arteta after the contest and that their relationship remains as strong as ever.
The Catalan boss said via HaytersTV: “With Mikel [Arteta] after the game, we text each other and the relation hasn’t changed absolutely. They decided to play that way, it’s more than perfect. I never justify it, it’s fine.”
Guardiola went on to later also disclose: “What I said, I said it to Mikel, you did it amazingly. So, it’s not a problem.”
Pep Guardiola also explained that Arsenal were entitled to play the defensive way they chose to against Manchester City.
“I would not be able to do it. They were brilliant. It’s about us, how we can break them and they did it really well in many things so always, it happens, we are not here to say to any team, you are going to play the way we want [you] to play, absolutely not.”
“We play in that way lately, we played a lot of defensive teams, Inter were so deep, Arsenal were so deep, for the reason, 10 against 11, today, Watford.”
Guardiola continued: “It’s about us because it’s not the first time in eight years. Do you know how many times we have played teams in that way today or the last game? Do you know how many? Millions, millions.”
“And there are other teams who are more aggressive, they are more brave.”
The Spaniard corrected himself, saying: “Brave, they are more attacking, whatever. It’s about us. What can we expect, ‘Oh guys, do whatever you want to win the game’, it’s not going to happen, you have to know it.
Classy response from Pep Guardiola about Man City vs Arsenal
In the aftermath of a clash that must have been mentally and emotionally draining from Pep Guardiola, he deserves credit for praising Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side.
Furthermore, Guardiola’s humility shines through as he admits that he cannot set his sides up to play the way that the North London side did.
The Manchester City legend also emphasised that regardless of how a team plays, his focus is on how his side manages to defeat them.
Ultimately, every team has a right to play football the way they choose to.
As Guardiola stated, his City side cannot wish for other teams to set up in a way that suits them.
Pep Guardiola’s men simply have to roll their sleeves up and adapt to the game at hand.
Manchester City will be hoping to do so against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United side on Saturday.
