Mikel Arteta has revealed what Pep Guardiola told him after Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Manchester City just before the international break.
The Gunners ended their hoodoo against City with Gabriel Martinelli’s late goal securing all three points for the north London side at the Emirates.
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It was a huge result for Arsenal, who narrowly missed out on last season’s Premier League title to Man City, as they look to topple Pep Guardiola’s side this campaign.
Arteta has argued that Arsenal’s victory over City will ‘define the momentum of the season’ as the Gunners attempt to land their first top-flight trophy since 2004.
‘Those games define the momentum of the season and, going into an international break, that momentum is really important,’ Arteta told Arsenal’s website.
‘We played at home, we beat them in the Community Shield and we wanted to see if we had the consistency and the level to do it again against the best team in the world.
‘We performed to a very high level individually and collectively and obviously it was a very special day for everyone.’
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Arteta, speaking on the Men in Blazers podcast, has also revealed what City head coach Guardiola hold him about Arsenal after the recent clash at the Emirates.
‘I talked with him [Guardiola] after the game,’ Arteta said. ‘It’s always like this, it’s very tense, it’s very emotional, a lot is going on in that moment, but after that, the relationship remains intact.
‘I lost much more than I won against him but, to be fair, in the last two games when we won the Community Shield and now in the league, the feeling is totally different. [He said] ‘Congratulations, you guys are a terrific team’.’