Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has attempted to smooth over comments that Man City manager Pep Guardiola made about the Gunners’ transfer spending.
Speaking after the 1-1 draw between the two clubs last month, Guardiola said that the Cityzens are treated differently from other teams who splash the cash on new signings – with many interpreting it as a thinly veiled dig towards Arsenal and Liverpool. When asked about the remarks, Arteta said:
“There’s a backstory to that (Guardiola’s comments) and it comes from the number of questions he’s asked about it. And it’s normal that he had that reaction.”
“I have a specific opinion about why a team might have more or less chances of winning, and I don’t think it’s just because of the spending on signings, but because of other things. I’m not just saying that; the history of football tells you this with many examples.”
Arteta was never going to start an argument with Guardiola
The mutual respect between the two managers goes back to 2016 when Guardiola appointed Arteta as his assistant at the start of his City reign.
Guardiola has credited Arteta for helping him adapt to English football, and the admiration between the pair has remained despite the latter’s appointment at Arsenal in late 2019.
City and Arsenal’s net spend compared
You cannot ignore the disparity between the two clubs in terms of the amount shelled out on transfer fees over the past five years.
While City’s net spend is -£344.72m during the period, the Gunners’ figure is almost double that amount (-£672m). There is no doubt that the London club have constructed their current squad by being far less frugal than their rivals.
As Arteta says, there are plenty of other factors that go into being a successful team, but he has certainly been given a helping hand.
Read more about the Man City First Team Squad for 2025/26 here
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