Despite a recent game against Arsenal at the top of the standings, Mikel Arteta declared his support for Pep Guardiola. A John Stones equaliser allowed the EPL champions to escape with a 2-2 draw.
Just before the half, Leandro Trossard was sent off for Arteta’s team, who had finished second to City in the Premier League for the past two seasons. With their cynical and time-wasting fouls in the second half, the Gunners caused havoc for their rivals, which prompted accusations that the north Londoners were turning to sport’s “dark arts.”
Before taking over as manager of Arsenal, Arteta assisted Guardiola at City, and he stated that the dispute would not have an impact on his relationship with Guardiola personally. He threatened to stop talking to him if the tension of the games between the title candidates harmed their relationship.
Furthermore, Arteta made it clear that keeping up a friendship is easy because it is their responsibility to mediate the intense matches amongst championship contenders. He conveyed his concern about his relationships with the Arsenal players and staff, with whom he shared formative years.
Arteta said, “I love him, I respect him and I admire him, his team and everything that he does,” he said Friday, on the eve of his side’s match against Leicester.
“This is a sport – one thing is our profession and the other is our personal relationship.
“If my relationship has to be damaged because we play against each other and one draws or the one wins, or the amount of times that we have lost then I wouldn’t talk to him anymore.”
Arteta was questioned about the challenges of maintaining friendship during intense games between title contenders by reporters.
He replied and said, “It’s quite simple – don’t take it personally, it’s part of our job,”
“The things that you really care about, make sure you handle them in the right way.”That relationship, I really care about. It’s the same with a lot of people in their staff and players that I spent some very important years of my life with.”
