Guardiola says he's been provoked into bigger Arsenal rivalry

Manchester City brag Pep Guardiola says he's been provoked into a much aggravated rivalry with Arsenal arsenic the fallout continues from their Premier League clash astatine Etihad Stadium past weekend.

Sunday's 2-2 gully betwixt the rubric rivals saw respective flashpoints, including City striker Erling Haaland throwing the shot astatine the caput of Gunners defender Gabriel.

Following the lucifer City's John Stones and Kyle Walker said the Gunners utilized the "dark arts" portion trying to support their 2-1 half-time lead. Substitute Stones scrambled a leveller successful the eighth infinitesimal of added time.

Speaking connected Friday, Guardiola said: "You privation a war? Now we war.

"Gabriel said it perfectly successful the property aft the match, truthful this is simply a war. We person to provoke the opponent, to propulsion them, and astatine the end, what tin you do? You provoke me, OK, I'm there."

Brazilian centre-back Gabriel had said aft the game: "It's a battle, a war, truthful it's mean to person provocative acts successful football, it's portion of the game. Now this is implicit and we are waiting for them astatine our ground."

On Tuesday, Arsenal brag Mikel Arteta was asked astir accusations of utilizing the 'dark arts'.

Referring to the three-and-a-half years helium spent arsenic Guardiola's adjunct astatine City until December 2019, the Spaniard said: "I was determination for 4 years. I person each the information, truthful I know, judge me."

In his effect connected Friday, Guardiola added: "Next clip Mikel has to beryllium much wide astir precisely what helium means.

"He said helium was present 4 years and knows precisely what happened here. That tin beryllium related to the process present with 115 charges, possibly helium knows accusation astir that? Or possibly helium had thing like, I don't know…?

"Hopefully this question has been asked and helium tin reply precisely what helium means."

City are 2 weeks into a hearing into their alleged breaches of 115 of the Premier League's fiscal rules.

Both Guardiola and Arteta were speaking astatine the aforesaid clip connected Friday day and the Arsenal brag attempted to play down immoderate proposition of a spat.

"I emotion him, I respect him and I respect him," helium added. "I respect his squad and everything that helium does.

"This is sport. One happening is our profession, different is our idiosyncratic relationship. If our narration was damaged due to the fact that 1 draws and the different 1 wins, oregon [because of] the magnitude of times that they've beaten us, I would not speech to him anymore.

"That's not the narration I see some of america have. Sport volition ne'er get successful the mode of a idiosyncratic relationship, that's for sure."

City's rivalry with Arsenal has grown much aggravated implicit the past 2 seasons.

In 2022-23 Arsenal were 8 points wide astatine the apical of the Premier League astatine the opening of April, but mislaid their vantage during a tally of 4 games without a triumph and yet finished second, 5 points adrift of City.

Last season, the Gunners were besides apical successful April but handed the inaugural to City erstwhile they mislaid 2-0 astatine location to Aston Villa and ended up finishing 2 points behind, contempt winning their last six games.

The existent borderline to meetings betwixt the 2 clubs was shown instantly aft City's stoppage-time equaliser astatine the weekend, erstwhile Haaland threw the shot astatine Gabriel's head, an incidental many pundits felt should person led to the Norwegian being suspended.

"I would accidental that sometimes the emotions are there," Guardiola added. "I'm beauteous definite [Haaland] is not proud, but listen, the benignant of Arsenal challenges, I recognize it."

Arsenal are adjacent owed to play City connected 1 February successful the Premier League, though determination is simply a anticipation they could conscionable successful either of the 2 home cupful competitions earlier then.