Guardiola says he's been provoked into bigger Arsenal rivalry

Manchester City leader Pep Guardiola says he's been provoked into a much aggravated rivalry pinch Arsenal arsenic nan fallout continues from their Premier League conflict astatine Etihad Stadium past weekend.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In his consequence connected Friday, Guardiola added: "Next clip Mikel has to beryllium much clear astir precisely what he means.

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

"Hopefully this mobility has been asked and he tin reply precisely what he means."

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

Both Guardiola and Arteta were speaking astatine nan aforesaid clip connected Friday day and nan Arsenal leader attempted to play down immoderate proposal of a spat.

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

"This is sport. One point is our profession, different is our individual relationship. If our narration was damaged because 1 draws and nan different 1 wins, aliases [because of] nan magnitude of times that they've beaten us, I would not talk to him anymore.

"That's not nan narration I see some of america have. Sport will ne'er get successful nan measurement of a individual relationship, that's for sure."

City's rivalry pinch Arsenal has grown much aggravated complete nan past 2 seasons.

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

Last season, nan Gunners were besides apical successful April but handed nan 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 separator to meetings betwixt nan 2 clubs was shown instantly aft City's stoppage-time equaliser astatine nan weekend, erstwhile Haaland threw nan shot astatine Gabriel's head, an incident many pundits felt should person led to nan Norwegian being suspended.

"I would opportunity that sometimes nan emotions are there," Guardiola added. "I'm beautiful judge [Haaland] is not proud, but listen, nan type of Arsenal challenges, I understand it."

Arsenal are adjacent owed to play City connected 1 February successful nan Premier League, though location is simply a anticipation they could meet successful either of nan 2 home cup competitions earlier then.