Arteta and Guardiola knew each other since their time at Barcelona's La Masia academy, when the current Arsenal coach was just 15 years old. After retiring as a player, he served as an assistant to Guardiola at Manchester City for three seasons before taking charge of Arsenal in 2019. Since then, Arteta has transformed Arsenal into a formidable force, consistently competing with Manchester City for the Premier League title.

Coach Mikel Arteta (right) and Pep Guardiola before the match between Arsenal and Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England on 26/4/2023. *Photo: AP*

During a press conference ahead of the Premier League round 24 match against Leeds, Arteta asserted that allowing his personal relationship with Guardiola to deteriorate while their teams compete for the championship would "set a bad precedent for sports".

Addressing the notion that maintaining a close relationship with a direct rival is puzzling, the Spanish coach cited the relationship between Nadal and Federer: two tennis players who collectively won 42 Grand Slam titles during their dominance of world tennis.

"One of the greatest lessons sports offers is the relationship between Nadal and Federer," Arteta explained. "I am not at that level, but they are two of the greatest athletes in history. They faced each other in the biggest finals. So why can I not have a good relationship with someone I admire, have worked with, and consider a colleague? On the pitch, it is about winning. Off the pitch, everything should still be respected."

Last week, Guardiola praised Arsenal as the best team in the world, while also emphasizing Manchester City's experience in the long race, as his team has won 6 titles in the last 8 seasons, whereas Arsenal has not won the title since 2004.

When asked about the possibility of Guardiola playing mind games, Arteta responded: "For me? I do not think so. We do not talk as regularly as a married couple, but we still communicate when necessary. He expresses his feelings, and that is it. If it is mind games, then so be it, but I do not pay much attention. Ultimately, you still have to go out on the pitch and perform."

Coach Mikel Arteta during Arsenal's training session earlier this week. *Photo: Arsenal FC*

Beyond the title race discussion, Arteta also urged the Premier League organizers to change the rules regarding the number of registered players. Currently, each team can only register 18 players for a match, two fewer than in the Champions League.

"Currently, for each match, two or three players are forced to be excluded from the squad. That is the reality, and I cannot change it," the 43-year-old coach stated. "I hope that from next season, the Premier League will allow 20 players to be registered, like the Champions League. I am truly pleading with them. This helps us manage the squad better, protect player value and mental well-being, because no one wants to be left out of the squad."

According to Arteta, consistently having to exclude players from the matchday squad is the most challenging part of coaching. "We have a very special job: we can change players' careers and lives, but every week we also have to tell someone that 'tomorrow you will not be working, you will not even be traveling with the team'. There are not many professions like that. It is important for players to feel like they are part of the team, to have a chance to play. When you take away that opportunity, they will feel they are not good enough."

Arteta believes that limiting the number of players is no longer appropriate given the increasingly dense match schedule. "The demands of matches are growing, so we need larger squads. Restricting the number of players is illogical. Expanding the squad list will be good for everyone," he emphasized.

Hong Duy (via ESPN)