21/09/2025

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Protege vs master Guardiola faces former assistant Arteta knowing their rivals have reached a new level More on page 13 BY RICHARD JOLLY

manager MIKEL ARTETA

manager PEP GUARDIOLA

RESULTS & STANDINGS SPANISH LA LIGA: Real Betis 3 (Hernandez 7, Remiro 49-og, Fornals 69) Real Sociedad 1 (Mendez 13). TOP 5 P W D L F A Pts Real Madrid 4 4 0 0 8 2 12 Barcelona 4 3 1 0 13 3 10 Espanyol 4 3 1 0 8 5 10 Athletic Bilbao 4 3 0 1 6 4 9 Getafe 4 3 0 1 6 4 9 ITALIAN SERIE A: Lecce 1 (Tiago Gabriel 5) Cagliari 2 (Belotti 33, 71-pen) . TOP 5 P W D L F A Pts Napoli 3 3 0 0 6 1 9 Juventus 3 3 0 0 7 3 9 Cagliari 4 2 1 1 5 3 7 Cremonese 3 2 1 0 5 3 7 Udinese 3 2 1 0 4 2 7 GERMAN BUNDESLIGA: Stuttgart 2 St Pauli 0. TOP 5 P W D L F A Pts B. Munich 3 3 0 0 14 2 9 B. Dortmund 3 2 1 0 8 3 7 Cologne 3 2 1 0 8 4 7 St Pauli 4 2 1 1 7 6 7 E. Frankfurt 3 2 0 1 8 5 6 FRENCH LIGUE 1: Lyon 1 Angers 0. TOP 5 P W D L F A Pts Paris SG 4 4 0 0 10 3 12 Lyon 5 4 0 1 7 3 12 Lille 4 3 1 0 13 5 10 Monaco 4 3 0 1 8 5 9 Strasbourg 4 3 0 1 5 3 9

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. “Mikel is an extraordinary manager and they increase the squad for four or five transfer windows,” noted Guardiola, ahead of their latest reunion today (11.30pm Malaysian time). “So it is an unbelievable squad and an unbelievable team. It is one of the tough est 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 £250 million (RM1.45b) 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 year. 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 hattrick of finishes as a runner-up, takes the Premier League crown, Guardiola suggested his old sidekick should be treated accordingly. Sarcastically, he added: “Only I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta, if he wins

the title it will be just because he spent, not because he worked a lot or his players. “It’s like Liverpool. If Arne (Slot) wins again, it will be because he spent a lot of money. Right? Because it’s not just (at) Man City that happened, right? So for all of them. “Listen, for many, many years every club can do whatever they wants. You know? 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.” Every figure can be qualified, put into some context. Liverpool spent around £440 million (RM2.5b) this summer, but while recouping more than £200 million (RM1.16b) and after making a profit last year. City have paid out approaching £350 million (RM2.03b) for signings in 2025, but after making money last year and selling well in recent years. Their inability to retain the title last season could be attributed to Rodri’s knee injury but also to a reluctance to spend. City didn’t buy and didn’t get success then. Now Arsenal have taken the opposite approach. Guardiola noted their set-piece brilliance, courtesy of the former City coach Nicolas Jover, their presence in last season’s Champions League semifinals and their defensive record. “So all I can say is they have been wise,” he said. “They spent what they believe they can to compete against the best teams in the Premier League and Europe and

they’ve reached that level. “So he found a team in that way, and step by step, window by window, Arsenal is getting better. So last season in Europe, they made an incredible step forward and they are for me the most solid team. “They don’t make mistakes in the back. They have pace in front, they have of course set-pieces with Nico Jover. So it’s in every department.” That seems the Arsenal approach: a meticulousness to cover every base, a strength in depth in every area. They nonetheless dropped off in the Premier League last season, scoring fewer goals, collecting fewer points. Their domestic campaign peaked with that 5-1 thrashing of City. When these sides met last September, it was billed as a title decider of sorts. Each was ultimately distanced by Liverpool. Guardiola shrugged off talk a rematch has a similar significance. “It’s the fifth game,” he said. “Come on.” But what he wants is that, come the business end of the season, City are in the same territory as the challengers. Win today and they will go level on points with Arsenal. Lose and they will be six behind. “When I arrived here, Sir Alex Ferguson said to Brian Kidd that in the Premier League, you have to, after Boxing Day, stay close to the top four,” he explained. “And after that you can think about it. Last season, after Boxing Day, we were in another country.” – The Independent

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