‘ARSENAL ALWAYS IN MIKEL’S HEART’
MAN CITY V ARSENAL
PEP GUARDIOLA discovered the full extent of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal devotion whenever his Manchester City side faced the Gunners.
While Guardiola would punch the air in delight whenever City scored, former Arsenal midfielder Arteta could not bring himself to join in the celebrations.
Guardiola — whose City side host Arteta’s Arsenal tonight in the FA Cup fourth round — knew from that moment his former assistant was destined to manage the club he graced as a player for five years.
“I know he went to his club, the team he dreamed of,” said Guardiola.
“He’s a supporter, for the fact he played there and was captain there. He loves the club.
“I remember, when we were together here, when we scored goals he jumped a lot and celebrated, except against one team.
“One team, every time we scored a goal, I jumped, looked back, and he was sitting there. It was Arsenal. It was from that moment I said, ‘That guy likes Arsenal’.”
Offer
Arteta spent three-and-a-half years as Guardiola’s assistant at City, before Arsenal came calling in December 2019 with the offer of the manager’s job.
Despite not wanting to lose him, Guardiola knew he had to let Arteta take his first managerial role — even if his former assistant could now take the league title from him, with Arsenal five points clear of City and with a game in hand.
“Like me, if I was training as an assistant and Barcelona called me, I would go,” said Guardiola.
“It’s my club. I’m not a person to say, ‘Stay here and sign a contract’. People have to fly when they believe it’s the best.
“Mikel wanted to leave. What do you want me to say? Chain him here and say, ‘You don’t leave’.
“I was happy for him. If friends of mine have dreams to achieve, who am I to stop them?”
Guardiola signed a new deal in November, but said Arteta would have been the perfect replacement for him at City had he not decided to extend his stay.
“I’m pretty sure if I would have left, he would be here and he would be the best, absolutely,” said Guardiola.
“But I extended the contract, I am sorry, and he didn’t wait, so it could not happen, but definitely [in the future].”
Guardiola played down his own influence on Arteta and Arsenal’s impressive form this season, claiming that is down to the Gunners boss and his staff.
“What I’ve seen from Arsenal belongs exclusively to Mikel and his people,” said Guardiola.
“I’d like to say, ‘Yeah, what they do is because I taught him’, but it’s bull **** . It belongs to them.