At a Glance:
Mikel Arteta on how Manchester City impacted Arsenal’s players’.
Arteta mentions Pep Guardiola as a key reason behind his rise.
If Arsenal would have sacked Arteta if he did not win the Premier League.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has finally managed to get one over Manchester City by beating them to the Premier League title this season.
Despite their herculean efforts in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 campaigns, the Gunners could not get over the finish line while City did.
But now, the tables have turned as Arsenal have won the Premier League and could do so by more than the current deficit of four points depending on results on the final day of the season.
Arteta could be offered a new contract for taking the North Londoners to the summit of English football.
Previewing Arsenal’s clash against Crystal Palace, the 44-year-old had his say on City.
Mikel Arteta says Man City have pushed Arsenal’s players to greater heights
Mikel Arteta was initially grateful to Pep Guardiola as he played an instrumental role in him learning the rules of the roost before taking the Arsenal job.
Arteta said via BeanymanSports: “Pep has been a huge part of my journey. First of all because I started my career with him and then not only Pep and Man City but all the other opponents in the Premier League. They continue to raise the standards to crazy levels.”
As Arsenal won the title in Mikel Arteta’s image, the manager confirmed that one of the secrets behind his players’ success was to strive for more due to Manchester City raising the bar over the years.
“The only thing it has provoked in myself, the players, the staff and the club is to be obligated to try and raise the standards and be better than that. In the last few years, we have been very, very close and this time, thankfully, we managed to win it.”
Whether Arsenal would have sacked Mikel Arteta if he did not win the Premier League this season
Much like Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side, it seems like Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal cohort were driven by Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City players setting incredible standards over the years.
While Erling Haaland played down City’s rivalry with Arsenal, the Premier League champions would have had a collective fire in their bellies to usurp the Sky Blues in particular as England’s best team.
Arsenal would not have sacked Mikel Arteta even if he did not win the league this season, which highlights how much belief there was always in his project becoming a resounding success.
Srinivas Sadhanand
Srinivas Sadhanand is a writer for Read Arsenal and Read Man City, with over eight years of experience as a sports journalist. He has worked for established companies such as GRV Media, The Economic Times, Urban Pitch and Sportskeeda among several others. From interview athletes to writing detailed tactical pieces and covering the impact streetwear and music in football, he has many strings to his bow as a journalist. Being a lifelong Manchester City fan, he specialises in writing about them and the Premier League in particular. Away from the desk, he loves watching European football, cricket, films, listening to music and exploring new foods.
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