After beating him to the Premier League title on the final day of the 2023/24 season, Pep Guardiola now wants to share his success with his former assistant, Mikel Arteta.
Arteta narrowly missed out on winning the Premier League title and there was further frustration for the Arsenal manager as another prize eluded him.
Guardiola guided City to a fourth successive title and he was subsequently named the Premier League Manager of the Year.
City finished two points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table, with their success being confirmed following a 2-1 victory at home to West Ham United on the final day of the season.
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However, it didn’t always look as though City were going to be able to get over the line and Guardiola was quick to acknowledge how much Arsenal, managed by his former assistant Arteta, managed to push them.
Arteta was also nominated for the aforementioned managerial award, with former Arsenal boss Unai Emery also having been up for the prize after securing Champions League qualification for Aston Villa. Departing Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was also in contention along with AFC Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola.
Guardiola spoke highly of all of the managers that he managed to beat to the award, and said that he especially wanted to share it with Arteta for ‘bringing us to our limits’.
As reported by ESPN, Guardiola said: “I want to share it, yes, oh yes! Especially with Mikel for the incredible job he has done until the last game, bringing us to our limits,” Guardiola said.
“Of course, for Jurgen, for the unforgettable battles for many, many years. And Unai Emery, making something unbelievable again to bring Aston Villa to the Champions League.
“And Andoni Iraola, with Bournemouth, being his first season in the Premier League, doing what he has done, coming back from the tough start of the season.
“It is an honour to be alongside all of them and to win this trophy. We will defend this award as best as possible in the future.”
The way in which Arsenal managed to narrow the gap on City is perhaps best emphasised by the fact that Guardiola’s side didn’t manage to beat the Gunners in their two meetings this season.
Arsenal prevailed with a 1-0 victory at home in October, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a late winner.
The two sides drew 0-0 at the Etihad Stadium in March as Arteta’s team defended extremely well, which was epitomised by Alan Shearer’s praise for the “imperious” William Saliba.
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The next step for Arsenal will be to actually topple City and end Arsenal’s two-decade long wait for the Premier League title.
After the final game of the campaign against Everton, Arteta informed Arsenal supporters that they shouldn’t be satisfied with a second-place finish and vowed that they will win the title eventually.
Arteta told fans inside of the Emirates at the end of the game: “Don’t be satisfied, because we want much more than that, and we are going to get it!”
Arsenal already have a strong squad but Arteta will be looking to strengthen further during the summer transfer window to ensure that his team can challenge for the title again.
Kai Havertz exceeded expectations in his first season at the club as he scored 13 Premier League goals, while Gabriel Jesus will be aiming to get back to his best next campaign.
However, if Arsenal were to bring in an additional striker then it could provide them with the boost that is needed in order to get them over the line and win the title.