"They have already arrived" - Pep Guardiola backs Mikel Arteta's Arsenal to keep challenging for the biggest titles for a ‘long time'
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reckons Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have already arrived and will be consistently challenging for the big titles for a while.
Arteta's side led the Premier League for 248 days last season before running out of steam as City finished five points clear to complete a three-peat. The Cityzens would go on to complete a continental treble - a first by an English club since Manchester United in the 1998-99 campaign.
Both the Gunners and the Cityzens have made a good start to their 2023-24 Premier League campaign. Guardiola's City are just a point ahead of the third-placed Gunners (17) after seven games.
Ahead of his team's trip to the Emirates to face Arsenal on Sunday (October 8), Guardiola said (as per Football Daily) that the Gunners are poised to be their biggest challengers once again:
"The biggest rival last season. They have already arrived, and they will stay there for a long time.”
The two teams have had contrasting results in Europe in midweek, though. The Gunners' unbeaten start to the season ended with a 2-1 loss at Lens in the UEFA Champions League, while City made it two wins in as many games in the competition by winning 3-1 at RB Leipzig.
How has Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta fared against Pep Guardiola's Manchester City?
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has locked horns with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City 10 times across competitions since assuming the reins at the Emirates in December 2019.
Arteta - who was at the Etihad for 3.5 seasons as Guardiola's assistant - won this season's FA Community Shield against City for only his second win against his mentor's team. The other (2-0) had also come in the Community Shield three years ago.
The Gunners' win on penalties snapped Arteta's run of seven straight losses across competitions against Guardiola's City.
It's pertinent to note that Arteta has come up short in all seven Premier League meetings against City since losing 3-0 at the Etihad in June of 2020 in the COVID-19-plagued 2019-20 season.
The Cityzens have completed the league double over Arteta's team in the last three seasons. Last campaign, Pep Guardiola's men won 3-1 at the Emirates and 4-1 at the Etihad.