“Now, I’m scared”: Pep Guardiola’s Mikel Arteta prediction is causing Man City an Arsenal problem

Pep Guardiola, the Manchester City manager, has always believed that Mikel Arteta will do a good job at Arsenal.

They worked together at Manchester City for several years and Arteta became one of Guardiola’s assistants after his retirement in 2016. Arteta then returned to Arsenal as manager in December 2019 after Unai Emery was sacked.

Guardiola showed him great support at the time and praised Arteta’s tactical skills when he asked him if he wanted to take over as Gunners boss in March 2020.

“I was sure he would become manager when the opportunity came and it was an opportunity for him,” Guardiola said. “His ideas are already in the team, his positional play is getting better. I am sure Arsenal will be better.”

Now, four years after these comments, Arteta has transformed Arsenal into a team that can compete with Guardiola’s City in the fight for the Premier League title, and Arteta and Guardiola have become rivals, reports The Mirror. Although the Gunners were five points behind City last season, they are in a tight battle this season.

Arsenal, Liverpool and City are currently separated by just one point and Guardiola hinted earlier this month that he thinks Arteta’s team is more dangerous than Jurgen Klopp’s. Guardiola said before last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool: “Arsenal are already there.”

“Last season they were the biggest rivals, not Liverpool. And look how they still play. Liverpool need 90 minutes to win games, sometimes more than 90 minutes. Arsenal only need 25 minutes to win.”

Mikel Arteta’s men will prepare for a big game in the Premier League when they take on Manchester City at the end of the month, and young Bukayo Saka remains positive about their chances. He shared his thoughts with TNT Sports and said confidently: “We can [beat City].

“Right now we are top of the table and in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, but we have the international break ahead of us. That gives us a lot of momentum and belief that we can go to the Etihad and get a good result in these games.”

With Arteta at the helm, Saka’s prediction could soon come true according to Guardiola’s predictions.