City boss Pep Guardiola is enduring the worst run of his illustrious managerial career as his side blew a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord on Tuesday to extend their winless run to six. Can be extended to matches.
The defending champions can be 11 points behind the leaders. Liverpool If they lose at Anfield on Sunday and Guardiola’s disheveled appearance after the Feyenoord game — in which he showed cuts and scars after repeatedly scratching his face during the game — added to those suggestions. City’s dominance of English football could end.
But Arteta said: “What I’ve made of it is what they’ve done for nine years. I think people have to talk about it, how hard it is what they’ve done for nine years straight. what is
“And yes, a bump, everybody has a bump. For them, it’s very strange because they’ve never had one in nine years. But it also tells you what level and environment we’re in. , that everything has to go almost perfectly
“The performance has to be perfect, your squad availability has to be perfect, things have to go your way and the opposition, the level is different, and it’s very difficult to win.”
Asked if he had any concerns about Guardiola — with whom he spent three years as manager at City before taking over at Arsenal in December 2019 — Arteta replied: “It’s a very personal thing. Yes, but I feel a lot. I have sympathy for all my colleagues because I know the work, I know how ruthless this industry is.
“I know how we only judge by one thing, which is results, regardless of whether you have done exactly the same thing and the result is different. We have to deal with it, I know how difficult it is. Because I have personally experienced that many and every defeat is obviously very painful.
“And that’s it. Then put some perspective into it like we always do and move on, because there’s always another game.”
Arteta was anxious about the centre-back’s fitness. Gabriel Magalhaswhich limped off Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Sporting Lisbon before their midweek finale. Portugal with an apparent musculoskeletal problem.