MANCHESTER City boss Pep Guardiola says he’s been provoked into a more intense rivalry with Arsenal as the fallout continues from their Premier League clash at Etihad Stadium last weekend.
Sunday’s 2-2 draw between the title rivals saw several flashpoints, including City striker Erling Haaland throwing the ball at the head of Gunners defender Gabriel.
Following the match City’s John Stones and Kyle Walker said the Gunners used the “dark arts” while trying to protect their 2-1 half-time lead. Substitute Stones scrambled a leveller in the eighth minute of added time.
Speaking on Friday, Guardiola said: “You want a war? Now we war.
“Gabriel said it perfectly in the press after the match, so this is a war. We have to provoke the opponent, to push them, and at the end, what can you do? You provoke me, OK, I’m there.”
Brazilian centre-back Gabriel had said after the game: “It’s a battle, a war, so it’s normal to have provocative acts in football, it’s part of the game. Now this is over and we are waiting for them at our ground.”
On Tuesday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was asked about accusations of using the ‘dark arts’.
Referring to the three-and-a-half years he spent as Guardiola’s assistant at City until December 2019, the Spaniard said: “I was there for four years. I have all the information, so I know, believe me.”
In his response on Friday, Guardiola added: “Next time Mikel has to be more clear about exactly what he means.
“He said he was here four years and knows exactly what happened here. That can be related to the process now with 115 charges, maybe he knows information about that? Or maybe he had something like, I don’t know…?
“Hopefully this question has been asked and he can answer exactly what he means.”
City are two weeks into a hearing that is looking at an alleged 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
Both Guardiola and Arteta were speaking at the same time on Friday afternoon and the Arsenal boss attempted to play down any suggestion of a spat.
“I love him, I respect him and I admire him,” he added. “I admire his team and everything that he does.
“This is sport. One thing is our profession, another is our personal relationship. If our relationship was damaged because one draws and the other one wins, or [because of] the amount of times that they’ve beaten us, I would not talk to him anymore.
“That’s not the relationship I consider both of us have. Sport will never get in the way of a personal relationship, that’s for sure.”
‘Emotions are there’ – a feud fuelled by title battles
City’s rivalry with Arsenal has grown more intense over the past two seasons.
In 2022-23 Arsenal were eight points clear at the top of the Premier League at the beginning of April, but lost their advantage during a run of four games without a win and eventually finished second, five points adrift of City.
Last season, the Gunners were also top in April but handed the initiative to City when they lost 2-0 at home to Aston Villa and ended up finishing two points behind, despite winning their final six games.
The current edge to meetings between the two clubs was shown immediately after City’s stoppage-time equaliser at the weekend, when Haaland threw the ball at Gabriel’s head, an incident many pundits felt should have led to the Norwegian being suspended.
“I would say that sometimes the emotions are there,” Guardiola added. “I’m pretty sure [Haaland] is not proud, but listen, the type of Arsenal challenges, I understand it.”
Arsenal are next due to play City on 1 February in the Premier League, although there is a possibility they could meet in either of the two domestic cup competitions before then.