Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has warned his friend and Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta that he (Pep) is prepared to ‘fight on the touchline’ when both teams meet in the FA Cup fourth round on Friday.
Manchester City welcome Arsenal at the Etihad on Friday night in the first meeting between the two Premier League title contenders this season.
Guardiola and Arteta share great respect for each other as the latter has served as an assistant to the former at the Etihad before becoming the boss at the Emirates Stadium.
But Guardiola has said he is ready for things to get heated during the match, saying in his pre-match press conference: “He’s a rival, of course he is.
“He wants to beat me and I want to beat him. I know how we both are and in defeat we are not the best friends in the world.”
Guardiola explained that the respect he has for his former assistant as a person and as a manager will not diminish even “if we’re going to fight on the touchline.
“Sooner or later it’s going to happen.”