Display showed apprentice can now take on and match his master

THEIR embrace prior to kick-off was warm, genuine and underlined the mutual respect between them.

They may be managerial rivals, going head-to-head for the ultimate prize, but Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta greeted each other like long-lost brothers, hugging, back-slapping and sharing a few words

Arteta, Guardiola’s assistant at City for three years, then made his way to the opposition bench to greet the coaching staff with whom he shared so much during his time in Manchester.

This was as far removed from the enmity between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger as you can get, with none of the rancour and animosity that characterised their volatile duels.

Guardiola and Arteta spoke glowingly about each other ahead of their showdown. Guardiola lauded Arteta’s consistency, who in turn continued the love-in by declaring the City boss had taken football to another level.

Both managers are among the most animated in the Premier League, never keeping a lid on their emotions, but there was precious little for either to get worked up about in a game that ultimately failed to live up to its billing. While Arteta still managed to react to every decision that went against his side as some sort of personal affront, spinning around in his technical area and waving his arms around to signal his dismay, much to the delight of the City fans behind him, the Spaniard was more restrained than normal.

Guardiola, too, cut a more subdued figure than usual, prowling his technical area, arms folded and head bowed, like an accused man pacing his cell as he waits for the jury’s verdict. In a game that saw just three shots on target, no wonder two of the game’s most passionate coaches were so muted.

Although the chief beneficiaries of this stalemate were Liverpool, who opened up a two-point lead at the top after their win over Brighton, this was unquestionably a better point for Arsenal than it was for Treble winners City.

This was the first time in eight Premier League visits that Arsenal left the Etihad with something. After seven straight defeats here in the league, by an aggregate score of 21-4, this will have felt like a victory for Arteta’s men, who endorsed their title credentials by thwarting and frustrating the reigning champions.

Indeed, it is a measure of Arsenal’s formidable defensive display – and Arteta’s ultimately successful game plan – that this was the first time in 57 home matches in all competitions and three years that City had failed to find the back of the net.

Last April, Arteta’s side came to the Etihad and were mauled 4-1 by Guardiola’s men, who emphasised the gulf in class between the two teams. Eleven months on, the Gunners showed here how far they have come with such a disciplined and diligent display, which ultimately yielded something.

This draw, which kept Arsenal a point ahead of City, may yet prove vital in their quest to end the 20-year wait to be crowned champions, even though the destiny of the title is now in Liverpool’s hands.

With Guardiola cast in the role of master and Arteta the apprentice, this season the latter has shown he can take on and match the greatest coach of the modern era.

Following October’s 1-0 win over City at the Emirates this gritty, defensive display provided conclusive proof of that.

But only a title triumph will see Arteta (right) emerge fully from the shadow of his more illustrious mentor and friend, Guardiola.