Man City’s Guardiola: Arsenal’s Arteta must explain inside information claim

Pep Guardiola has hit back at Mikel Arteta’s claim that he has inside information about Manchester City by telling the Arsenal manager to explain himself.

Arteta was asked on Tuesday to respond to complaints from City players about Arsenal’s use of ‘dark arts’ during the 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.

The Arsenal manager, who was Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad between 2016 and 2019, gave a cryptic response, saying: “I was there for four years. I have all the information, believe me.”

The conclusion was that Arteta knows City are using the same tactics, but when the quotes were put to Guardiola he said his counterpart needed to be ‘clearer’.

“Did he say that?” said Guardiola.

“Next time he should be clearer what exactly it means? He said he was here for four years and we know exactly what happened here because it can now be related to 115 charges in the whole trial; maybe that’s what it’s about. He might know information about that.

“Hopefully this question has been asked. He can answer exactly what it means when he said he was here and I know what’s happening here, and instead of being there in the clouds (points above him) to be more precise.”

Relations between the two clubs have deteriorated as they competed against each other for the last two Premier League titles, although Arteta said at his press conference on Friday that the rivalry would not affect the personal relationship between the two coaches.

The match at the Etihad threatened to boil over at several points and cameras caught Erling Haaland throwing the ball at Gabriel’s head in the aftermath of John Stones’ injury-time equalizer.

However, Guardiola says he doesn’t mind rivalry turning into ‘war’ on the pitch.

“I would say that sometimes the emotions are like that. Gabriel said it perfectly in the press conference after the match, so this is a war, we are here to provoke the opponent, to push them, and in the end, what can happen?” you do?

“So we have to, okay, you’re provoking me, okay, I’m there. Do you want a war? Now we’re going to war. The kind of challenge that challenges Arsenal, I understand that.”