Premier League clash: Arteta vs Guardiola in Arsenal vs Man City

Mikel Arteta has learned everything he knows from Pep Guardiola – and now will face his former teacher in a season-defining Premier League clash on Sunday, 31 March 2024.

If records are anything to go by, Sunday should be a routine victory for Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City team on Sunday.

Arsenal have lost eight of their last nine Premier League encounters against Manchester City and have struggled against the Cityzens for years now.

However, records and statistics will matter very little when the two face-off this weekend in what could be a title defining game for both teams.

Arteta and his men, who will travel to Manchester, currently occupy first place, and with their rich vein of form of late, the Gunners will fancy their chances at the Etihad.

Arteta will be determined to win this weekend’s battle, knowing that a win will extend their gap at the top and will go a long way in chasing the title that they have waited for, for such a long time.

Earlier this season, Arteta’s men grabbed a late winner to secure a 1-0 win against Man City at the Emirates, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring the all-important goal of the game, and Arteta will be hoping for similar come this weekend.

While the Gunners will be fully motivated, so will Guardiola and his men.

The Cityzens will be looking to make history by winning four Premier League titles in a row, a feat that has yet to be achieved by any Premier League team.

Guardiola is aware of the challenge he and his team face, but with the incredible form his team is in coupled with the fact that they are playing at home, the Cityzens will fancy their chances. Guardiola has also managed to get the better of his pupil for several years now and will be optimistic that he can once again outsmart Arteta.

The game, which will be shown live on Showmax Premier League, on Sunday, 31 March 2024, at 17:30, will be the 12th meeting between Arteta and Guardiola, and will be streaming live on Showmax Premier Leauge.

This week Showmax looks at the previous Premier League encounters and the history between the two managers.

Arsenal 1-0 Man City: Emirates Stadium

Sunday, October 8, 2023

Gabriel Martinelli’s late goal on his return from injury gave Arsenal their first Premier League win over Manchester City since 2015, as Mikel Arteta got the better of mentor Pep Guardiola for the first time as a manager in the competition.

Martinelli, a half-time substitute, scored in the 86th minute with a deflected shot off Nathan Ake that lifts Arsenal above Man City in the table with a result that will give huge belief to the Gunners’ hopes of winning the title.

Man City 4-1 Arsenal : Etihad Stadium

26 April 2023

Arsenal were outclassed in this match, as City swung the title-race momentum firmly back in their favour.
De Bruyne and John Stones ensured a commanding two-goal lead heading into the break, before the Belgian struck again and Haaland’s late strike meant he became the outright top scorer in a 38-match Premier League season.

Arsenal 1-3 Man City: Emirates Stadium

15 February 2023

A vital win for City in their duel with leaders Arsenal, as they leapfrogged their opponents and returned to the top of the table for the first time since November.

Kevin De Bruyne put the visitors in front, only for Bukayo Saka to reply just before the break.

City turned up the pressure late on, as Jack Grealish and Haaland both completed a memorable night.

Arsenal 1-2 Man City: Emirates Stadium

1 January 2022

While this match would prove far closer than their August meeting, Arsenal could still not overcome City, who recorded an 11th successive league win on New Year’s Day.

Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead just after the half-hour, but Mahrez equalised in the second half before Rodri hit a last-gasp winner from close range to deny the home side a deserved draw, despite going down to 10 men for the final 31 minutes after Gabriel’s red card.

Man City 5-0 Arsenal: Etihad Stadium

28 August 2021

Arsenal’s disastrous start to the 2021/22 season continued as they made it three defeats in as many matches, all without scoring a goal.

Ferran Torres struck twice along with further efforts from Ilkay Gundogan, Jesus and Rodri to leave 10-man Arsenal, who had Granit Xhaka sent off in the first half, rock-bottom of the Premier League.

Arsenal 0-1 Man City: Emirates Stadium

21 February 2021

Another league encounter between Arsenal and Man City, yet another Raheem Sterling goal.
His second-minute header was enough for another narrow win and moved Guardiola’s side 10 points clear at the top, while Arsenal were left floundering in mid-table.

Man City 1-0 Arsenal: Etihad Stadium

17 October 2020

In their first encounter of the 2020/21 season, City would edge to a narrow home win thanks to another Raheem Sterling goal.

His strike in the 23rd minute helped extend the host’s winning run of Premier League matches to 13, while it was a seventh straight league victory over Arsenal.

Man City 3-0 Arsenal: Etihad Stadium

17 June 2020

Pep Guardiola came out on top in his first meeting with Mikel Arteta, as the two sides played their first match following the pandemic.

Raheem Sterling scored the opener in first-half stoppage time and Arsenal were reduced to 10 men shortly after the break, as substitute David Luiz was sent off.

Kevin De Bruyne converted the resulting penalty before Phil Foden wrapped up the three points with a late third.

Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola’s history

Mikel Arteta joined Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Manchester City upon retiring as a player at the end of 2015/16 season.

The midfielder had been at Arsenal for the previous five years and turned down the opportunity to stay in a role that would have put him charge of the Gunners academy. Arteta also said no to joining Mauricio Pochettino, a former PSG teammate, at Spurs.

The pair first met at Barcelona, when Arteta, recently 41, was rising through the ranks at La Masia and Guardiola, a 1992 European Cup winner, was an established first-team player.

Arteta’s debut for Barcelona B at the age of 16 in early 1999 was as a substitute for Guardiola, whose playing career at the very highest level was ultimately curtailed by injuries. They are believed to have “loosely” stayed in touch, but then Guardiola made contact in 2012 to tap into Arteta’s knowledge, as a Premier League player, on Chelsea ahead of Champions League semi-final.

Although Chelsea surprisingly won that two-legged tie, Arteta, through his detailed analysis, had seemingly done enough to convince Guardiola of his potential as a coach. By 2015, when Arteta was playing for Arsenal against Guardiola’s Bayern Munich, the latter is believed to have proposed they should work together if he were to take a job in England. Within months, Pep was replacing Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City and, with Arteta retiring aged 34, everything helpfully fell into place.
In December 2019, Arteta received an offer that he simply couldn’t turn down, which would inevitably see the Spaniard taking over the reigns at Arsenal. He replaced Freddie Ljungberg, who took over as interim head coach following Unai Emery’s sacking.

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