- Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola have been rowing since last week’s 2-2 draw
- Arsenal manager Arteta previously worked under Guardiola at Manchester City
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Mikel Arteta offered Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola an olive branch after Arsenal secured a dramatic injury-time victory against Leicester in the Emirates on Saturday.
The fallout from last Sunday’s tricky 2-2 draw between the Premier League sides continued throughout the week before Guardiola declared war on former assistant Arteta during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
But Gunners boss Arteta took the first steps to calm the situation after Arsenal’s 4-2 win over Leicester.
“I can repeat it very clearly: I love Pep,” said Arteta. ‘I’ve admired him since I was ten years old. I respect him deeply and I am so grateful for everything he has done for me and continues to do for me.
‘I consider him a friend. I love and respect every staff member there (at City) because I worked with them for four years.”
Managers Pep Guardiola (right) and Mikel Arteta hugged before last Sunday’s match
That match, between Arteta’s Arsenal and Guardiola’s City, was a fiercely competitive encounter
It ended in a 2-2 draw before the managers became embroiled in a post-match ‘war’ this week
Guardiola had disputed Arteta’s claim in the aftermath of the Etihad draw that the Arsenal boss knew all about City’s use of the ‘dark arts’.
The City boss demanded ‘clarity’ from the Spaniard and suggested Arteta was alluding to the 115 Premier League charges the club is fighting.
But Arteta sought to clarify his comments in a bid to defuse the growing animosity between the two title rivals.
“When I say ‘I know them’ I mean I know how hard they work,” Arteta said. ‘I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as Pep and the coaches and everyone at that football club to win consistently.
“The reason they’re there is to perpetuate hunger. This is exactly what I learned and what I meant, so I couldn’t be clearer.
“If you want, I can repeat it, but if someone wants to damage our relationship, it is not my fault, but that feeling is deep. He knows it, the employees know it because I still maintain (a relationship) with them today, with the board, with ownership, with everyone.”
But Arteta, pictured hugging Guardiola in April last year, has since taken steps to end that ‘war’
Arteta’s Arsenal defeated Leicester City 4-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon
Earlier on Saturday, Guardiola watched his Man City team hold a 1-1 draw with Newcastle
His comments came after Arsenal claimed a late three points against lowly Leicester following a Wilfred Ndidi own goal and a Kai Havertz strike.
Despite the scare, Arteta was largely pleased with the display.
“I think we were incredible today,” he said. ‘We deserved to win with many more goals.’
