Mikel Arteta ban, 115 charges truth, Guardiola scared - Arsenal vs Man City war of words erupts

Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola have entered into a war of words following last weekend's huge Premier League clash

The fallout from Manchester City versus Arsenal last weekend just keeps going and going. And you know it's a big rivalry when people just can't stop talking about it.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta rolled his eyes when there were more questions about his tactics and the use of so-called 'dark arts' during his press conference ahead of the game with Leicester City this weekend. He bluntly responded "no" when asked if he had any response to Roy Keane saying Arsenal had a small-team mentality in their approach to the game.

Arteta had said cryptically in the week: "I was there for four years. I have all the information. So I know. Believe me." And that struck a chord with Pep Guardiola and now it seems a war of words has erupted between the two.

Guardiola responded: "Next time he has to be more clear exactly what does it mean. He said he was here four years and we know exactly what happened here, because it can be related in all the process now with 115 charges, maybe it's about that, he knows information about that maybe. Or maybe he had something like, I don't know, because really, next time I have to see more clearly exactly what happened.

"Next time, like a good relationship I have with him, hopefully this question has been asked. He can answer exactly what does it mean when he said he was here and I know what's happening here, and instead of [speculation hanging] in the clouds to be more precise.

"Gabriel said it perfectly after the match: 'This is a war, we have here to provoke the opponent, to push them', and at the end, what can you do? So, we have to, okay, you provoke me, okay, I'm there.

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"You want a war? Now we war. So, what do I have to do? And after the motion, try the motion. I'm pretty sure he's not proud, but listen. The type of challenge that Arsenal challenges, I understand it."

It is sure to rumble on and on so we asked our football.london writers to have their say on the battle between the two clubs and the two coaches, who at this moment are still friends...

Lee Wilmot

This is what the Premier League needs. A proper rivalry that transcends the corners of the pitch. Think back to the classic niggle between Arsene Wenger and Jose Mourinho, and Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson - it was great.

Now we've got Mikel Arteta vs Pep Guardiola. It just makes our game eminently more watchable. As Gabriel Magalhaes and now Guardiola have both said, this is war.

Was Arteta talking about the 115 charges levied against Man City in his cryptic 'believe me I know' comment? Only he knows, but it has opened up a war of words between two good friends now.

Arteta has already admitted that Jose Mourinho - the king of the dark arts - has been "more than an influence" on him as a manager. We miss a bit of Jose in the Premier League. We miss that character, that devil, that needle. If Arteta can bring that back with his rivalry with Guardiola, I'm here for it.

We just need to be wary of Arteta getting a ban for something he may say and everything dying down due to fear of being reprimanded further.

Sam Truelove

Pep Guardiola has called for a war and Mikel Arteta appears to have made the first move. Arsenal must do something to try and throw Manchester City off their perch at the top of the Premier League and something like this could just well help.

Arteta and Guardiola are good friends but sometimes personal relationships are set aside when work is involved. This may be what has happened here and I'm all here for it. If this happened last week the pre-match handshake would have been even more interesting!

Who knows what Arteta meant with his comments in midweek but they certainly seem to have got under Guardiola's skin. Something tells me this hasn't finished yet. In fact, it may have only just begun.

Kieran Horn

Though Manchester City and Arsenal have been the best two teams in the Premier League for the last three years, it hasn't felt like a proper rivalry for two reasons. Firstly, Pep Guardiola and his best players have won the title in all three seasons and thus it has not felt overly competitive.

Secondly, because Mikel Arteta and Guardiola worked together, there was always a mutual respect and that was reflected any time one was asked about the other. However, following those fresh developments that looks to have changed and it is only going to benefit football fans.

For the first time since the Gunners really began making an impact, it certainly looks as though Guardiola considers them a direct threat and rival. Though it may have come from a misunderstanding, neither manager is going to back down and that will hopefully be reflected on the pitch, both throughout the season and the next time they face off in February 2025.

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