The Premier League title race has been on hold for one week, but that does not mean the competition has gone away. On Friday night, 27 January 2023, two old friends will face off as Manchester City and Arsenal clash in a fourth-round FA Cup meeting.
It is the first time Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola have been title rivals since the Spaniard left City to become Arsenal manager in December 2019. Arteta had spent three years as Guardiola’s assistant, helping the club win two Premier League titles, but the Gunners now stand in their way as they chase a domestic double.
The two men have known each other since their days in the Barcelona youth system, where Guardiola was 11 years Arteta’s senior. Despite their age, they established a friendship and have remained in touch.
When Guardiola moved to City in 2015, he offered Arteta the chance to join him as a coach. It was a show of faith in the then-Arsenal midfielder and proved to be a wise decision as City won back-to-back league titles. For the first time, Arteta gets to take on his former boss as a manager.
His team has shown their credentials this season, leading the Premier League by five points, and now they have the chance to prove their worth against the reigning champions.
It promises to be an emotional reunion between two old friends as Guardiola puts his trust in Arteta once more. Both men will be desperate to win, but their mutual respect is evident. Whoever comes out on top, it is sure to be an entertaining encounter.
Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola: A Decades-Long Friendship Put to the Test.