Arsenal boss has ‘enough in my garden’ after Guardiola insisted ‘I will not do a Mikel Arteta’ | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta commanding players from touchline

Mikel Arteta said “I have enough in my garden” after the Arsenal boss was asked for his thoughts on Pep Guardiola namechecking him in the wake of Manchester City’s 3-3 draw with Tottenham on Sunday.

The game at the Etihad ended in controversy after play was brought back for a foul on Erling Haaland as he played Grealish in on goal despite the referee initially playing an advantage.

Haaland was apoplectic and reacting to the decision, Guardiola said in his post-match interview: “Next question. I will not do a Mikel Arteta comment.

“It is hard when you review the image, the referee decides to blow the whistle after he has already said to play on. After the pass, the whistle, so I do not understand this action.”

Guardiola, whom Arteta worked under at City before taking on the Arsenal job, was referring to an incident earlier this season when a furious Arteta labelled a decision in the Gunners’ defeat to Newcastle as a “disgrace”.

The Spaniard is still awaiting his punishment having been charged by the FA over the outburst, and refused to be drawn into a war of words with Guardiola in his press conference on Monday.

Having been asked for a response, Arteta said: “On to the next one please. I have enough in my garden and in my plate as well so we’ll move on.”

The Arsenal boss was then asked about City’s form, which has seen them draw their last three Premier League games, to Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea, and insists he doesn’t focus on what their rivals for the title are upto.

“Encouragement? No,” he said. “The encouragement comes from watching the [Arsenal] team play and how hungry and willing they are. What the others do is something that we cannot control.”

With the gathered journalists apparently desperate for some line or other against Guardiola, Arteta was then asked whether he was playing mind games with his former mentor.

“If I am good at mind games maybe you don’t notice,” Arteta added.