Pep wary of struggling Gunners’ potent threat
Pep Guardiola insists Arsenal’s recent problems will not prevent them providing Manchester City with a big test.
The Premier League champions travel to the Emirates Stadium today, expecting to get back to winning ways after last weekend’s damaging loss to Manchester United.
Arsenal have endured a difficult campaign to date, with manager Unai Emery sacked last month and last Monday’s victory over West Ham being their only success in 11 matches in all competitions.
The Hammers victory, under caretaker boss Freddie Ljungberg, was also unconvincing, coming against another struggling side.
Nevertheless, Guardiola – with his own side having surprisingly lost four times this term – is taking nothing for granted.
The former Barcelona boss said: “I have not watched the previous games with Unai, I watched the games they played with Ljungberg to try to figure out what they’ll try to do.
“But normally Arsenal have a typical style of play. If you let them play, they have the quality to play. Arsenal away is always a big test for any team.”
Ljungberg is a fans’ favourite at Arsenal having been a member of the club’s 2004 Invincibles side and has lifted the atmosphere in the past four games. Emery’s reign had ended in dismal fashion after a run of seven games without a win.
Guardiola said: “It was a position after the Unai Emery situation, the club decided on him, of course a person who has had many years at the club.
“He knows the feelings of the club and the fans, the way they like to play. He got a good result last weekend so we’ll see.”
Guardiola’s highly-rated assistant Mikel Arteta, another former Gunners player, has been linked with the Arsenal vacancy.
Arteta, 37, was also a contender when Arsene Wenger left last year. Guardiola has said he expects Arteta to become a manager one day, and would allow him to leave with his blessing, but only when he feels the time is right.
“You can be 45 years old and believe you are not be ready, or be 35 years old and believe you are ready,” Guardiola said. “Only he knows.”
City’s record goalscorer Sergio Aguero and defender John Stones are still sidelined with thigh and hamstring injuries respectively.
Veteran playmaker David Silva is also a doubt after a blow to the leg in the derby last Saturday.
Meanwhile, Ljungberg has been told he cannot bring in his own backroom staff as Arsenal continue the search for their new full-time head coach.
The 42-year-old was appointed on an interim basis and had largely avoided questions surrounding his future in the role.
But he has now said he has had no chance to add to his coaching options and seemingly started talking as though he does not believe he will be given the job on a longer deal.
The Gunners have won one of Ljungberg’s four games in charge, the 3-1 victory at West Ham their only success in 11 matches, and came from two goals down to draw at Standard Liege on Thursday.
The next test is due to be the Swede’s hardest to date. Ahead of the game, Ljungberg conceded he has not been able to recruit additional help, with academy manager Per Mertesacker still sitting alongside him in the dugout.
“That’s up to the club,” he replied when asked if he had made any decisions regarding backroom staff. “The club have said I have to wait until they make a decision, so yeah, I can’t do anything at the moment.
“I have Per, but at the same time he is academy manager, but he is helping me with the coaching.
“The club has said when they make a decision then that’s it or I’m obviously leaving or maybe then we can do something with the staff. But it’s up to the club.
“If you look at the person who was here before, he had a lot of staff and maybe I don’t have so many. So if you keep on going like that for months and months, it’s not so easy. But that’s totally up to the club.”
As Ljungberg waits on a decision from the top, he has the chance to pit his wits against Guardiola – a man whose coaching career he suggests it would be nice to emulate having both started on their paths in similar ways.
“I think he is a tremendous, tremendous coach and of course I’ve looked a little bit at how he did in his career,” Ljungberg said of his Manchester City counterpart.
“When he was with the B team with Barcelona I thought, ‘OK, I’m an assistant and with the under-23s and the reserves here in England’, so trying to see how he developed himself.
“But the ideas he comes up with, for me it has revolutionised football. Of course it’s something as a young coach, I looked at that.
“I’m looking forward to it, but I have a lot of respect for him. I think he is an amazing coach.”