Mikel Arteta hits back at Manchester City and claims to have ‘all the information’ from his time at the Etihad Stadium

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has claimed that he has ‘all the information’ from his time working at Manchester City prior to moving to the Emirates Stadium.

The Spanish coach has been speaking off the back of the two sides’ meeting at the home of the Premier League champions on Sunday afternoon, playing out an enthralling 2-2 draw courtesy of a last-minute equaliser from John Stones.

Manchester City were forced to play the entire second-half in and around the Arsenal penalty area, as Mikel Arteta instructed his team to sit behind the ball and defend with a nine-man rearguard to protect David Raya’s goal and their 1-2 lead.

Many of Pep Guardiola’s spoke openly after the game and criticised the ‘dark arts’ of Arsenal’s performance, with all the tricks in the book used to try and slow the game down and waste time including the feigning of injuries, kicking the ball away, and delaying restarts.

Speaking this week during a press conference, Mikel Arteta was asked for his thoughts on a number of City players hitting out in public interviews at Arsenal’s methods during the 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The Spanish coach responded, “I have been there before. I was there (working at Manchester City) for four years. I have all the information. So I know. Believe me.”

Arteta first joined Manchester City as a member of Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff in 2016, rejecting the opportunity of either leading Arsenal’s Academy, or joining Mauricio Pochettino at Paris Saint-Germain.

The Spaniard opted for a move to the Etihad Stadium upon retirement and stood alongside Brian Kidd and Domènec Torrent alongside Pep Guardiola, in the Catalan’s first roster of coaching staff upon joining Manchester City.

While Pep Guardiola was exiting Bayern Munich, both he and Mikel Arteta had re-connected and decided to work together, with the latter approaching the end of his playing career, and the two have remained in touch despite their two clubs’ ongoing competitive rivalry.