Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta mentioned he nonetheless “loves” Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola regardless of final weekend’s bad-tempered top-of-the-table conflict. The champions wanted a John Stones equaliser deep into stoppage-time to flee with a 2-2 draw in opposition to 10-man Arsenal on the Etihad Stadium. Arteta’s aspect, runners-up to City within the Premier League for the previous two seasons, had Leandro Trossard despatched off simply earlier than the interval. The Gunners did their greatest to intentionally disrupt their rivals with time-wasting and cynical fouls within the second half.
City struggled to interrupt down Arsenal regardless of dominating possession, main Stones and team-mate Bernardo Silva to accuse the north Londoners of resorting to soccer’s “darkish arts”.
Arteta, who labored as Guardiola’s assistant at City earlier than changing into Arsenal boss, mentioned the controversy wouldn’t get in the best way of his private relationship together with his fellow Spaniard.
“I like him, I respect him and I like him, his group and the whole lot that he does,” he mentioned Friday, on the eve of his aspect’s match in opposition to Leicester.
“This is a sport — one factor is our career and the opposite is our private relationship.
“If my relationship needs to be broken as a result of we play in opposition to one another and one attracts or the one wins, or the quantity of occasions that we’ve got misplaced then I would not speak to him any extra.”
Arteta was requested by reporters whether or not it was more durable to take care of a friendship when video games between title contenders are so ferocious.
“It’s fairly easy — do not take it personally, it is a part of our job,” he mentioned.
“The issues that you simply actually care about, be sure you deal with them in the fitting manner.
“That relationship, I actually care about. It’s the identical with lots of people of their employees and gamers that I spent some crucial years of my life with.”
Unbeaten Arsenal are fourth within the desk, two factors behind City, who’re high of the pile after 5 video games.
Arteta, whose group meet Paris Saint-Germain within the Champions League subsequent week, mentioned he was not sure whether or not goalkeeper David Raya could be match to face Leicester after choosing up an harm in opposition to City.
“We have to attend 24 hours to see if he is wanting good or not that good”, he mentioned.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
