Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has refused to address any speculation surrounding Pep Guardiola’s future at Manchester City after it was revealed on Monday night that the 55-year-old will leave the club after Sunday’s game against Aston Villa. City face Bournemouth in midweek and Villa at the weekend, but they know they need wins in both games to keep their hopes of winning this season’s Premier League title alive.
Arsenal will be awarded the Premier League title if they fail to beat Bournemouth on Tuesday, but Guardiola has urged his team to fight for the title until the final day of the season. Nevertheless, City are ready to bid farewell to Guardiola after a decade of winning trophies with the club. Guardiola’s success in the FA Cup at the weekend took his tally to 20 trophies since arriving at the Etihad Stadium, but his departure will have a huge impact on City going forward.
Pressed about Guardiola’s future in an interview with Sky Sports after the win over Burnley, Arteta said: “Once he makes that decision, we can talk about it. No one should do it before that.”
Asked if he would watch City v Bournemouth, the Gunners boss said: “I just want to enjoy it tonight and we’ll see what we do tomorrow.”
“I don’t know. What we have to do is prepare as best as possible for the game against Crystal Palace. This is the Premier League. We know the quality that Andoni has achieved and the results they have now. Anything is possible.”
Arsenal took a big step towards winning the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Burnley thanks to Kai Havertz’s header in the first half.
This could be the decisive end to the season for Arsenal, who appeared to have given up their bid to win their first league title since Arsene Wenger’s “Invincibles” era in 2003-04 after losing 2-1 to City on April 19.
However, the Gunners, who have finished runners-up in the league for the past three seasons, bounced back with sheer determination, keeping a clean sheet in their last four league games.
They now find themselves in the perfect position to shed the ‘almost a man’ label and hand Arteta his second trophy in his nearly seven-year tenure.
A league and European Cup double could be well within reach when they face Paris Saint-Germain on May 30th. Victory in Budapest later this month will seal the club’s first Champions League title.
