The recent negative comments from Josep Guardiola especially towards Arsenal Football Club may have been about the stance of the Gunners along with seven other clubs in the English Premier League namely Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham, Leicester, Wolves and Burnley who had told the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) not to delay the European suspension placed on Manchester City FC for flouting the Financial Fair Play rules pending City’s appeal. There is, apparently, more to it than that alone. Pep Guardiola is angry at the way the Arsenal authorities approached erstwhile Assistant Mikel Arteta to convince him to agree to join Arsenal as their Head Coach in December.

The Manchester City FC manager said yesterday, 20th July 2020, “Opponents always deserve my respect and credit. I have all the respect for what Arsenal are on the pitch, not much off the pitch – but on the pitch, a lot.”

Guardiola has been furious with the media for always harping on the millions being spent by City to get success, and had the penultimate week, caused controversy when he said that managers like Arsene Wenger and Alex Ferguson also spent heavily on their way to success, a statement that has not gone down well with most pundits and observers of the English Premier League.

The Manchester City Football Club believe that Arsenal were the major instigators behind the eight Premier League clubs who approached the Court of Arbitration for Sports.

The BBC had said: “City were irritated by Arsenal’s conduct earlier in the season when the Gunners approached Mikel Arteta to take the manager’s job following the dismissal of Unai Emery. Arteta was on the City bench for a 3-0 win at Arsenal in December, after which two senior Gunners executives travelled north to meet the former midfielder at his house for talks.

City were frustrated that no-one from Arsenal had the courtesy to tell them what they were intending to do, even though they had no intention of standing in Arteta’s way.“

The frustration of the Catalan tactician is understandable as Arteta is believed to have been pivotal in the management of the players and their psychology, as admitted by Raheem Sterling who flourished after being mentored by the former Arsenal and Everton FC midfielder. The players of Manchester City were full of praises for Arteta after their recent successes, including the FA Cup last season.

Arsenal knocked out the FA Cup holders Manchester City in a match at Wembley on Saturday 19th July 2020 to set up a massive final clash against their former striker Olivier Giroud and city rivals Chelsea Football Club, managed by Chelsea former player and most recent club legend Frank Lampard.