Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would prefer to go head to head with pretty much any other coach than Pep Guardiola in a bid to win the biggest trophies in English football. (More Football News)
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would prefer to go head to head with pretty much any other coach than Pep Guardiola in a bid to win the biggest trophies in English football.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would prefer to go head to head with pretty much any other coach than Pep Guardiola in a bid to win the biggest trophies in English football. (More Football News)
Not just because it means Arsenal is having to compete with Manchester City 바카라 a team Arteta believes is the best in the world.
Rather, it would avoid him having to compete with a friend and one-time mentor.
바카라I would prefer to do it with someone else, to be fair,바카라 Arteta said Wednesday. 바카라I want the best for him, genuinely the best for him, and when you are challenging with someone like this something comes in between that.
바카라So it바카라s a strange feeling.바카라
Arteta had better get used to it.
Arsenal vs. Man City is English football's hottest new rivalry 바카라 well, for this season anyway 바카라 and they will be meeting three times over the coming months.
Twice in the Premier League, when the title is at stake with Arsenal five points clear of second-place City with a game in hand.
And, firstly, in the FA Cup, with City hosting Arsenal in the fourth round on Friday.
Arteta owes plenty to Guardiola after spending three years under his fellow Spaniard as assistant coach at City from 2016-19.
Arteta then left to join Arsenal for his first senior coaching role, and he shares the same passion and animated style on the touchline as Guardiola.
He knew coming up against Guardiola was inevitable if Arsenal was to challenge for silverware, but he said he hopes it doesn바카라t impact their relationship.
바카라It바카라s not going to change any friendship, the moments that we had, how important he is in my life, how important he is in my profession,바카라 Arteta said. 바카라We바카라re both willing to win and defend our clubs the best possible way and that바카라s always been the case since day one.바카라
Arteta has already outwitted Guardiola in the FA Cup, having led Arsenal to a 2-0 victory over then-defending champion City in the semifinals in 2020.
Arsenal went on to win the cup, beating Chelsea in the final, for a title that gave Arteta a platform on which to build at the club 바카라 even though he has been through some tough times. Notably at the start of last season when Arsenal lost its first three games 바카라 including a 5-0 thrashing by City 바카라 in the lowest moment of his tenure at Emirates Stadium.
Indeed, City has won six of its seven meetings with Arsenal since Arteta took charge but the team from north London is much-improved this season, not least because it added title-winning experience in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko 바카라 who both moved from City in the offseason last year 바카라 to the squad.
Arteta played down the importance of Friday바카라s match when it comes to providing a psychological advantage in the Premier League title race.
바카라I think they are going to be two very, very different games,바카라 he said. 바카라To put similarities to them, I think, is just very unreal maybe because of the players who will be on the pitch but as well because the context is extremely different.
바카라Let바카라s see. It is important to play well and to win. That gives you more momentum and confidence, and prepares you better for the next match. That is our focus.바카라