Mikel Arteta responds to Pep Guardiola 'war' threats

Mikel Arteta has admitted that he carries a lot of respect for Pep Guardiola after the Manchester City boss promised war with the Gunners coach following recent comments.

Arteta recently spoke out on his time in City's backroom staff, offering a cryptic response which many assumed to be a dig at the Premier League champions' legal battle over alleged breaches of financial regulations.

Guardiola was not impressed with his former assistant, asking him to clarify his comments or risk starting 'war' between the two title-chasing sides.

"I can repeat it very clear, I love Pep, I have admired him since I was 10 years old," Arteta assured after Arsenal's 4-2 win over Leicester. " I respect him profoundly I am so grateful for everything he did for me and continues to do with me, I consider him a friend.

"I love and I respect every member of the staff there because I worked with them for four years, and when I say I know them, it’s I know how hard they work. I haven't seen a human being work as hard as Pep, and the coaches and everybody in that football club to be consistently winning, and the reason they are there is because they maintain that hunger and this is exactly what I learn and exactly what I mean.

"It cannot be any more clear than that. If you want I can repeat it, if someone wants to damage a relationship that's not in my hands. That feeling is profound, he knows it, the staff know it. I still maintain today with them, with the board, with the ownership, with everybody and if it not it wouldn’t be genuine and it is. 

"They have it [success] even if they want it more than anybody else, we have to learn and it has to be inspiring for us and it is for me and that's what I mean because I have been there. It is remarkable and it's an incredible achievement because they have that mentality. Hopefully, that is clear."

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