Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he “congratulated” Pep Guardiola via text message after his side lost the title to Manchester City on the final day of the season.
Arteta spent three and a half seasons as Guardiola’s assistant at the Etihad before joining the Gunners and he told CNN that, despite there now being a rivalry on the pitch between the two men, they are still pretty close personally:
“I congratulated him, all the staff. At the end, they deserved it. One is the professional relationship and that competition and then there’s obviously all the personal feelings that I have towards him and all the staff.”
“I spent four beautiful years over there [in Manchester], and that’s never going to change.”
Arteta is gracious in defeat
It’s not always the case that former colleagues stay friends when they are in the opposition dugout. Guardiola’s relationship with Jose Mourinho, for example, soured.
They had worked together at Barcelona, when Pep was a player, and Mourinho was Bobby Robson’s assistant, but they have never seen eye-to-eye as managers.
In contrast, Guardiola has consistently praised Arteta for his help in adapting to life in English football, while the Arsenal head coach has reciprocated with his own compliments.
The title race could come down to City and Arsenal once again
While you can’t rule out the likes of Liverpool getting involved, all the signs point towards a third successive year where it will be a two-horse race for top spot.
After coming so close in the last two campaigns, Arteta will clearly be looking to beat his former boss at the third time of asking. Guardiola will, of course, have other ideas, and you wouldn’t bet against him considering his record over the past eight seasons.
