Guardiola v Arteta: ‘I love Pep – but out of my hands if someone wants to damage that’

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has played down talk of a feud with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, saying he “loves” his former colleague and cannot control attempts to “damage” their friendship.

Speaking on Friday before City’s trip to Newcastle, Guardiola said he had been provoked into a “war” with Arsenal following last Sunday’s action-packed 2-2 draw between the teams at Etihad Stadium.

Arteta, responding to accusations from several City players of employing ‘dark arts’ to defend a 2-1 second-half lead, told reporters on Tuesday that he had “all the information” on them following his three-and-a-half year spell as Guardiola’s assistant – comments which also upset the City boss.

“I’ve admired him since I was 10 years old,” Arteta said on Saturday. “I respect him profoundly. I’m so grateful for everything he did for me and continues to do for me.

“If someone wants to damage the relationship, that’s not in my hands. The feeling [of affection] is profound. [Guardiola] knows it, the staff know it because I still [speak] with them today, and with the board, the ownership – with everyone.”

Arteta’s latest comments came after his side scored twice in stoppage time to earn a dramatic 4-2 victory at home to Leicester.

“The positive energy is feeding out of the club at the moment,” former Arsenal winger Theo Walcott told Final Score. “It is even bigger to get the win because Man City dropped points [at Newcastle] today.

“In my time [at Arsenal], there was an element of: ‘Can we do it?’ What Mikel has instilled is that belief that they will do it.”

After the verbal jousting between Arteta and Guardiola this week, BBC Sport takes a look at some of the Premier League’s other big managerial rivalries down the years.