Guardiola says he’s been provoked into bigger Arsenal rivalry

On Tuesday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was asked about accusations of using the ‘dark arts’.

Referring to the three-and-a-half years he spent as Guardiola’s assistant at City until December 2019, the Spaniard said: «I was there for four years. I have all the information, so I know, believe me.»

In his response on Friday, Guardiola added: «Next time Mikel has to be more clear about exactly what he means.

«He said he was here four years and knows exactly what happened here. That can be related to the process now with 115 charges, maybe he knows information about that? Or maybe he had something like, I don’t know…?

«Hopefully this question has been asked and he can answer exactly what he means.»

City are two weeks into a hearing that is looking at an alleged 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

Both Guardiola and Arteta were speaking at the same time on Friday afternoon and the Arsenal boss attempted to play down any suggestion of a spat.

«I love him, I respect him and I admire him,» he added. «I admire his team and everything that he does.

«This is sport. One thing is our profession, another is our personal relationship. If our relationship was damaged because one draws and the other one wins, or [because of] the amount of times that they’ve beaten us, I would not talk to him anymore.

«That’s not the relationship I consider both of us have. Sport will never get in the way of a personal relationship, that’s for sure.»

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От BBCsport