Associated Press

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — The friendship between Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta may be under strain as the rivalry between their title-chasing Premier League clubs heats up in recent days.

Arteta seems confident that their relationship will not be damaged.

However, Guardiola may have been irritated.

Arsenal’s tactics and use of football’s so-called ‘dark arts’ sparked criticism from some City players after the teams’ heated 2-2 draw last weekend.

Arteta responded rather cryptically, saying he had “all the information” about City as he worked there as Guardiola’s assistant from 2016 to 2019.

“Well I know, believe me,” Arteta said.

Those comments were so vague that Guardiola wondered whether Arteta might actually be alluding to the off-field problems at City, which is currently defending itself against 115 allegations of breaching Premier League regulations following an investigation into the club’s financial affairs.

“Next time he has to be clearer about what exactly he means,” Guardiola said of Arteta. “He said he was here four years and we know exactly what happened here.”

“It may be related to the trial now with 115 charges, maybe that’s why.” He may know information about it, or maybe he has something like… I don’t know. OK, next time, like a good relationship I have with him, hopefully this question has been asked. He can answer exactly what it means when he says he’s here and ‘I know what’s happening here.'”

Guardiola spoke in a press conference on Friday, held around the same time as Arteta held one at Arsenal’s training camp.

When asked about his relationship with Guardiola, Arteta said: “I love him, I respect him, I admire him and I admire his team and everything he does. “That’s sport. One is our job, the other is our personal relationship.

“If our relationship was damaged because one draws and the other wins or because they beat us so many times, I wouldn’t talk to him anymore. So that’s not our relationship, especially not the relationship that I think we both have. In sport it will never get in the way of a personal relationship, that’s for sure.”

Guardiola said he felt Arsenal could provoke his players into a rivalry, particularly taking note of Arsenal defender Gabriel’s post-match comments.

“Gabriel said it perfectly after the game – so this is a war, we are here to provoke the opponent, to push them,” Guardiola said. “What can you do in the end?” Okay, you provoke me – I’m here.” . Do you want a war? I will fight a war.

Arsenal have finished second in the league behind City for the last two seasons.

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AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer