Guardiola: If Arsenal wants a war, Manchester City and I are ready to respond

It has been a week since Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Arsenal, but the verbal sparring between the two managers seems far from over. In response to Arteta’s subtle criticisms, Manchester City’s manager, Guardiola, warned Arsenal: “If you want a war, I’m game.”

The battle of words between Manchester City and Arsenal has spilled off the pitch, with Gabriel vowing to give City a tough time at home, and Bernardo Silva mocking Arsenal’s barren trophy cabinet in recent years and criticizing the dirty style of play of the Gunners’ players. Now, both teams’ managers have joined the fray, with Guardiola leading the charge by stating that his team is ready to start a war. Guardiola said, “Gabriel was right; it is indeed a war. I don’t think the way Haaland threw the ball back after equalizing is something to be proud of, but if Arsenal wants to provoke us, I can understand that.”

Arsenal’s manager, Arteta, is no pushover either, and he hit back at the criticism of City this week with a veiled jab at what he witnessed during his time as Guardiola’s assistant. Arteta said, “I spent four years at City, enough to know everything. So trust me, I know (a lot).” While Arteta did not elaborate, public opinion generally interprets this as a reference to the tactical fouls and time-wasting tactics criticized under Guardiola’s leadership at City.

Guardiola clearly wouldn’t take such an insinuation lying down and directly called out Arteta as a traitor during Friday’s press conference, which aligns with rumors suggesting that some of the 115 disciplinary charges against City originated from leaks at Arsenal. Guardiola said, “Mikel really said that? Next time, he should be more specific. Mikel was at City for four years; he knows what goes on here. This might be related to the 115 charges, I don’t know, but next time he should clarify.”

When asked whether Arteta’s comments implied that City is well-practiced in toeing the line of rules, Guardiola responded, “We’ll see when the question comes up again. Just like the good relationship I have with Mikel, I hope this question will come up again.”