Mikel Arteta says he has nothing but respect for Pep Guardiola after Arsenal and Manchester City clashed last week.
There was plenty of drama in the game, with Leandro Trossard being sent off and City scoring a last-gasp equaliser.
But Arteta addressed his relationship with his former mentor ahead of Arsenal’s match against Leicester this weekend.
Speaking to the media, he said: “I love him, I respect him, I admire him and his team and everything that he does.
“This is sport and a personal relationship.
“If my relationship has to be damaged because one draws and the other one wins when we play against each other, the amount of times that we have lost, then I wouldn’t talk to him anymore.
💬 “A lot of players have taken a different role in the leadership, in their importance in the team and they embrace that challenge. I’m really happy for that.”
Mikel praises the squad after adapting to the changes 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 27, 2024
“It’s sport and it will never get in the way of a personal relationship for sure.”
📰 Table Of Contents
Injury updates: Raya, White, Timber, and Merino
Moving onto injury updates, Arteta was asked about David Raya’s availability for tomorrow’s game.
The Spaniard explained that a final decision would be made closer to kick-off.
He added: “We have to wait 24 hours to see if he is looking good or not that good.
“It’s not risk, it is about a player being fit or available or not. We will make the decision tomorrow.
“Jurrien [Timber] was able to take part in training today so he will be available in the squad, and Ben [White] hopefully as well.”
Mikel provides the latest update on our squad ahead of tomorrow 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) September 27, 2024
Arteta also spoke about Mikel Merino’s recovery from a shoulder injury, stating that while he is progressing, the next match comes too soon for the midfielder.
“Tomorrow is too soon, next week we will see.
“He had partial training today, he has been working so hard and looked really good. It is just about the healing of that bone and how mature that is to expose us to contact basically.”
Odegaard’s absence
With captain Martin Odegaard still sidelined, Arteta praised his team’s ability to navigate a challenging schedule.
He said: “If you put them in that scenario before the start of the season, with the calendar we have, the fixtures we had and the three away games and how we got out of that, I would be very, very pleased I think.”
“It’s not only Martin, he is one of the players who has more impact in the team in many ways but there were many others as well.
“The team has coped extremely well because we have an exceptional group, a lot of players are taking a different role in the leadership, in their role in the team, and they embrace that challenge and I’m really happy for that.”
