Pep Guardiola has long maintained a strong relationship with Mikel Arteta, and his admiration for the work done by his former assistant has become one of the most interesting stories in English football. From their time together at Manchester City to their years competing against each other in the Premier League, Guardiola has repeatedly acknowledged the qualities Arteta has brought to Arsenal.
Arteta joined Manchester City’s coaching staff in 2016 after retiring from professional football. He worked alongside Guardiola until December 2019, when Arsenal appointed him as their head coach. Since then, Arteta has gradually transformed Arsenal into one of England’s leading teams, culminating in the club winning the Premier League title in the 2025-26 season.
Guardiola publicly congratulated Arsenal, Arteta, the players, staff and supporters after their title triumph. He acknowledged the work Arteta had put into the project and described the achievement as something the Arsenal manager deserved after years of effort.
Guardiola’s Respect for Arteta
The relationship between Guardiola and Arteta goes beyond the normal relationship between two Premier League managers. Before becoming rivals, they worked closely together at Manchester City.
Arteta spent more than three years on Guardiola’s coaching staff, during a period in which City collected several major trophies. Guardiola has previously explained that Arteta was already highly motivated to become a manager himself and that he respected his decision to leave Manchester City when the Arsenal opportunity arrived.
Guardiola has also been careful not to claim responsibility for Arteta’s success. In 2021, when Arsenal were still developing under their young manager, Guardiola said that what Arteta knew came from Arteta himself and that the credit for his work belonged to the Arsenal manager and his backroom staff.
That statement highlights an important aspect of their relationship. Although Arteta learned during his time at Manchester City, he has developed his own managerial identity at Arsenal.
Arteta’s Arsenal Transformation
When Arteta took over Arsenal in December 2019, the club was going through a difficult period. The manager faced the enormous challenge of rebuilding the squad, improving the club’s defensive structure and restoring belief among supporters.
His first major trophy came in 2020 when Arsenal won the FA Cup. However, the bigger transformation required more time.
Arsenal gradually became more competitive in the Premier League. The club began challenging for the title and repeatedly pushed Manchester City during the following seasons.
The progression eventually reached its biggest point in the 2025-26 campaign when Arsenal won their first Premier League title since 2004. Reuters reported that the title came after three consecutive runner-up finishes and represented a major milestone in Arteta’s development as Arsenal manager.
For Guardiola, who had competed against Arsenal throughout Arteta’s managerial development, the achievement represented the completion of a long process.
A Different Arsenal
One of the most significant aspects of Arteta’s work has been the creation of an Arsenal side capable of competing consistently at the highest level.
The team has developed a reputation for defensive organisation, structured possession, pressing and set-piece strength. Arteta has also overseen the development of several young players while helping experienced members of the squad take greater responsibility.
The transformation did not happen overnight. Arsenal had to experience difficult defeats and periods of criticism before eventually reaching the top of the Premier League.
Guardiola has previously stressed that managers need time to implement their ideas. In 2021, he pointed to Arteta’s progress and suggested that Arsenal could become serious title contenders under his leadership.
That prediction eventually became reality.
From Assistant to Rival
Perhaps the most remarkable part of the Guardiola-Arteta story is that the former student eventually became one of Guardiola’s biggest domestic rivals.
Arteta understands Guardiola’s football philosophy because he experienced it from inside the Manchester City coaching environment. However, his Arsenal teams have not simply copied Guardiola’s methods.
A 2026 BBC analysis of their relationship noted that Arteta developed his own ideas after leaving City, while retaining certain principles from his time working alongside Guardiola. The two managers have therefore followed related but distinct paths.
Their rivalry has produced several memorable Premier League encounters, with Arsenal eventually becoming one of the principal challengers to City’s dominance.
Guardiola’s Congratulatory Message
After Arsenal secured the Premier League title in May 2026, Guardiola offered congratulations to Arteta and the entire Arsenal organisation.
His comments were particularly notable because Manchester City had been competing directly with Arsenal for the championship. Guardiola nevertheless acknowledged Arsenal’s achievement and recognised the amount of work Arteta had invested in building the team.
He specifically highlighted how much effort Arteta had put into the project and described the title as something special for the Arsenal manager.
That recognition from a manager who had previously worked with Arteta made the moment even more significant.
Arteta’s New Chapter
Arsenal’s success has also changed the expectations surrounding Arteta.
Winning the Premier League title has established a new standard at the Emirates Stadium. The challenge is now to maintain that level and compete consistently for domestic and European honours.
On September 22, 2026, Arsenal agreed a new contract with Arteta that will keep him at the club until at least 2030, according to Reuters and the BBC report it cited. The extension reflects Arsenal’s continued commitment to the manager following the club’s title-winning season.
The timing is significant. Arsenal are no longer simply a club rebuilding under Arteta. They are now defending their Premier League title and attempting to establish a sustained period of success.
Guardiola and Arteta’s Lasting Connection
Even though Guardiola and Arteta now represent opposing clubs, their professional connection remains an important part of both managers’ stories.
Arteta has previously spoken openly about how much he learned during his time at Manchester City. Guardiola, meanwhile, has repeatedly praised Arteta’s abilities while making it clear that his former assistant deserves credit for developing his own career.
Their relationship has evolved from colleagues to rivals, but there remains considerable mutual respect.
For Arsenal supporters, Arteta’s journey is ultimately about much more than his connection with Guardiola. He has built his own identity, experienced difficult moments, rebuilt the squad and eventually guided Arsenal back to the top of English football.
Guardiola’s congratulations after Arsenal’s title triumph therefore carried considerable significance. The Manchester City manager was not simply acknowledging another competitor. He was recognising the achievement of a former colleague who had spent years building his own path.
From Manchester City assistant to Arsenal manager, Premier League champion and now a long-term figure at the Emirates, Arteta’s journey has become one of the defining managerial stories of modern English football.
And as Arsenal begin another chapter under their manager, Guardiola’s respect for Arteta provides another reminder of how far the Spaniard has come since leaving Manchester City in 2019.
