Mikel Arteta has publicly expressed his admiration, respect, and love for Pep Guardiola, his previous mentor, in an effort to mitigate intensifying friction. Arteta’s Arsenal was previously advised by Guardiola to anticipate conflict following a contentious draw with Manchester City. However, the Gunners responded with a nail-biting 4-2 triumph over Leicester at the Emirates Stadium.
On the eve of Saturday’s match, Guardiola prompted Arteta, an ex-City team member, to clarify his statement about possessing “all the information” regarding the reigning champions after his four-year tenure at the club.
In response to Guardiola’s reactions, Arteta declared, “Let me be perfectly clear, I have adored Pep since I was 10. He has my absolute respect and admiration.
Apart from the excitement in the Premier League round-up, Arsenal managed a dramatic late win against Leicester. In parallel, Anthony Gordon’s penalty led Newcastle to draw against champions Manchester City.
Arteta, expressing gratitude towards Guardiola, said that he appreciated all that Guardiola had done and continued to do for him, even considering him a friend.
Mikel Arteta emphasised his knowledge about Guardiola’s commendable work ethic and the reason for their continued success – persistent hunger to win.
Mikel expressed that the desire to win is the essence of sport – a sentiment shared by him and his team, contributing to their exceptional accomplishments
Arsenal appeared to be leading against the Foxes, owing to Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard. Despite a comeback from James Justin with a diverted header and brilliant volley after half-time, along with an impressive performance from Mads Hermansen, Arsenal still recorded 36 shots.
Trossard’s dramatic goal bounced off of Wilfred Ndidi in the added fourth minute of the game, followed by Kai Havertz’s strike that boosted the score to four, just five minutes later. This ensured Arsenal’s position alongside City, with an equal score of 14 points after six matches.
The thrilling match might prove crucial to Arsenal’s pursuit of success. Following the game, Arteta reflected on the emotional tumult of the contest. He was thrilled with Arsenal’s performance and dominance throughout the game. Despite the 2-0 lead, he felt the result could have been more pronounced, given the Premier League standard and the ability of the opposition who netted two goals. Nonetheless, he was satisfied with how the team handled the situation. Their emotional control was commendable and according to him, the victory was well earned.
Arsenal’s breathtaking last-minute victory left Leicester with a mere three points from a total of 18. Leicester’s Manager, Steve Cooper, who received a booking for protesting what he believed was a foul on Jamie Vardy during Arsenal’s first goal, criticised the referee Samuel Barrott. He expressed his disbelief about the referee’s decision not to present a second yellow card to Riccardo Calafiori with only 20 minutes left in the game.
Cooper conveyed his disappointment regarding the decision against Vardy and regarding the non-dismissal of the Arsenal left back. He is striving not to let these questionable referring decisions dominate the narrative but also believes in acknowledging his team’s responsibility. However, he voiced firm opinions on what he perceived as two erroneous decisions.