Mikel Arteta has confirmed that he did have a conversation with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola ahead of Arsenal’s 3-0 victory over Real Madrid.

Having been Pep’s assistant for three and a half years, Arteta is still close with his fellow Spaniard, and speaking after the Gunners’ stunning win on Tuesday night, he revealed he sought his former boss’s advice:

“We talked coming into this (first leg), I wanted to talk to him and he’s someone who admires the good things we’ve done [at Arsenal], and it’s important to learn from the best, to learn from people who have that experience.”

“He’s a very intelligent person, and I’ve had the good fortune to work with someone like that who has been able to help me much.”

City and Arsenal are not direct rivals this season

If this conversation had taken place last campaign or the year before, when both teams were going for the Premier League title, more people would have raised questions about it.

However, with City out of the Champions League and, with neither competing for top spot domestically, there is no reason for there to be distance between two men who clearly remain close.

Guardiola is Arteta’s mentor

While it is unusual for a manager to seek advice from a direct rival, you can’t look past the fact that the Arsenal manager has learned a lot of what he knows about coaching from Guardiola.

That relationship clearly means a lot to the Gunners boss and the fact that he still feels the need to seek out his old mentor for advice demonstrates the value he places on his knowledge.

Arteta is by no means the only former assistant of Guardiola’s who holds him in such high regard. Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca praised him back in November.

Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here