Western Daily Press (Saturday)
Arteta’s turning Arsenal into title contenders - Pep
PEP Guardiola believes his former assistant Mikel Arteta is turning Arsenal into Premier League title contenders.
Guardiola’s Manchester City head to Arsenal tomorrow after securing a 17th consecutive win in all competitions at Everton on Wednesday and opening up a 10-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Just two months ago City had won a Carabao Cup tie 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium, and the post-match inquest focused on whether Arteta would keep his job as Arsenal manager with the struggling Gunners 15th in the Premier League.
But Arsenal won their next league game, against Chelsea on Boxing Day, and climbed into the top 10 on the back of last weekend’s 4-2 victory over Leeds.
“What the two months shows is that all managers need time,” City manager Guardiola said. “He (Arteta) is not an exception, but when I see the last two months every game Arsenal plays they are better than the opponent.”
He added: “We need an incredible performance to play with the ball and run a lot in the right tempo to get the ball because they have an exceptional build-up in the final third.
“They have quality and incredible energy in (Emile) Smith Rowe, (Bukayo) Saka, (Pierre-Emerick) Aubameyang with the runs in behind, and they have the players with the quality in the middle to make the process quite well. Early in the future they will be a real contender to fight for the title.”
Arteta spent three years coaching at City between 2016 and 2019 before leaving for north London.
But Guardiola played down the influence he has had on the career of his fellow Spaniard.
“I didn’t inspire him,” Guardiola said. “What he knows he knows for himself.”
City - who have distanced themselves from claims they are negotiating with Lionel Messi over a summer move to the Etihad - are waiting on the fitness of Ilkay Gundogan.
The in-form Gundogan, who has scored 10 goals since Christmas, missed the 3-1 win at Everton with a groin injury but joined in part of Friday’s training session.
Guardiola confirmed that City will continue to take the knee before matches after Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha labelled the gesture “degrading”.
“We are not going to just resolve the problem by taking the knee before the start of the game,” Guardiola said about the fight against racism. “But it is a gesture and we have to do more of that.”
Meanwhile, Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti feels now may well be the “right time” to tackle Liverpool at Anfield. The Toffees last tasted victory over their rivals in 2010 and have not won away across Stanley Park since September 1999.
Anfield, though, is no longer the fortress it once was - with Burnley and then Brighton both defeating the champions on home soil in the Premier League this year.
Everton are seeking a response today after successive losses against Fulham and Manchester City, while the Reds got back to winning ways with a 2-0 Champions League victory over RB Leipzig in Budapest.
Ancelotti said: “Every derby you play for Everton against Liverpool, you want to win, of course. It is a long time that Everton was able to win a derby and it can be the right time tomorrow.”
Liverpool’s Fabinho is not fit so loan signing Ozan Kabak is set to start his first match at Anfield in central defence alongside Jordan Henderson. Midfielder Naby Keita has returned in training after two months out but - after a midweek illness - manager Jurgen Klopp has to make a late decision.
Everton will have England forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin available again after he missed two matches with a hamstring injury. Defender Yerry Mina, though, faces up to a month out with a calf problem suffered against Manchester City on Wednesday.
Brazil midfielder Allan, who has not featured since mid-December with a hamstring injury, is back in contention again, but Jean-Philippe Gbamin (Achilles) continues his rehabilitation.