Spent force: Gunners draw Pep's sarcastic admiration

Arsenal’s summer spree has not gone unnoticed at the Etihad, as Pep Guardiola faces his former assistant knowing their rivals have reached a new level’, writes Richard Jolly

- Richard Jolly

As Pep Guardiola considered the assistant turned adversary, he started off with the compliments before turning to the more cutting comments. There are times, the Manchester City manager may think, that he schooled Mikel Arteta too well. Their last meeting brought a 5-1 Arsenal win. Arteta became among the select group of managers - along with Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Mauricio Pochettino, Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot - to finish above Guardiola in a league season. But, like Pochettino, Arteta's accomplishment came without the prize of a league title.

“Mikel is an extraordinary manager and they increased the squad for four or five transfer windows,” noted Guardiola, ahead of their latest reunion. “So it is an unbelievable squad and an unbelievable team. It is one of the toughest opponents you can find now in Europe.”

That recruitment drive at the Emirates Stadium has not gone unnoticed at the Etihad. Arteta's summer spend came to around £250m on Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Kepa Arrizabalaga, Cristhian Mosquera and Christian Norgaard, with the on-loan Piero Hincapie also due to be bought next summer. It can look as if Arsenal have gone all in to win the Premier League. “They decided to do it in Arsenal,” said Guardiola.

But he is accustomed to accusations that City have bought success. If Arteta, after a hat-trick of finishes as a runner-up, takes the Premier League crown, Guardiola suggested his old sidekick should be treated accordingly.