Mikel Arteta can enter one-man club against Pep Guardiola as Man City boss sends Arsenal spending dig

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Close friends Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta renew their on-pitch rivalry on Sunday as Manchester City travel to Arsenal.

Both clubs bounced back from defeats before the international break, with City beating Manchester United last week and Arsenal easing past Nottingham Forest. Both also navigated difficult Champions League assignments with morale-boosting wins this week.

Guardiola will hope for better fortunes at the Emirates Stadium than last season’s visit that saw a thumping 5-1 defeat in February.

With both City and Arsenal dropping points in the early weeks of the season, this will be a test of the two teams considered most likely to challenge champions Liverpool for the Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta can set new record against Pep Guardiola if Arsenal avoid defeat against Manchester City

Arsenal have won the last two home meetings with City after they ended a rotten run of 15 defeats in 16 clashes between the two sides in all competitions.

Yet since they edged City on penalties in the 2023 Community Shield, they have gone two seasons unbeaten against Guardiola’s men in the Premier League with two home wins and two away draws.

Mikel Arteta record vs Manchester City as manager (Source: Transfermarkt)

• Games managed: 14
• Wins: 4 (including 2023 Community Shield win on penalties)
• Draws: 2
• Defeats: 8
• Goal difference: -11

And if Mikel Arteta guides Arsenal to another positive result he would become the first manager to ever go five league games unbeaten against Pep Guardiola.

That same situation would see Guardiola going five games winless against a top-flight opponent for the first time in his career, putting plenty on the line on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola makes Arsenal spending dig ahead of Manchester City trip to Emirates Stadium

Asked to comment on Arsenal’s spending spree this summer, Guardiola offered a sarcastic response, saying: “if [Arteta] wins the title it will be just because he spent, not because he worked a lot or his players.”

Clarifying, Guardiola went on to say: “Listen, for many, many years every club can do whatever he wants. I know how they’ve been treated is completely different, but what he wants to spend is because they want it and it’s fine.

“All I can say is they have been wise. They spent what they believe they can do it to compete against the best teams in the Premier League and Europe and they’ve reached that level.”

Guardiola’s answer is consistent with his regular defences of City’s spending and how he feels they have been unfairly compared to their rivals – but it will surely be heard at the Emirates Stadium to raise the temperature for a fixture that has become much more hot-tempered in recent years.