Every Word: Pep Guardiola’s pre-Arsenal press conference

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has addressed the media on the eve of his side’s mammoth Premier League showdown against Arsenal.

City will look to move to within just two points of their Premier League title challengers with a win over the Gunners on Wednesday night, while also having two games in hand on Mikel Arteta and his squad.

Last time out, Manchester City kept their hopes of a treble firmly alive with a 3-0 win against Sheffield United in the semi-final of the Emirates FA Cup at Wembley. A Riyad Mahrez hat-trick booked a place in the final where they will meet Manchester United on June 3.

City also have a Champions League semi-final clash coming up next month, where they will face European experts Real Madrid at the last-four stage of the continent’s premier club competition once again.

The sales of Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus, his friendship with Mikel Arteta, and Erling Haaland were among the talking points raised during Pep Guardiola’s address to the media on Tuesday afternoon.

Here is every word from the boss while speaking at the City Football Academy!

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On the excitement around Wednesday’s game

“Really good to be here. It’s a really important game because we can get points and they focus on what they have to do. We’ve played two times this season and in the past as well. They have been really tight games and really difficult.”

On the importance of this match

“It’s really important, not decisive. A lot of tough games for both sides but we can’t deny how important it is.”

“When you play against these types of teams, they control everything. Arsenal always have incredible details and care with the ball, the players they select to play are of the biggest qualities and skills and I think Mikel (Arteta) brings a different dimension. They are so aggressive, they can go to Anfield against the team who has been the best in transitions in recent years and they were better.”

“In the two games we played this season, we felt and you have to challenge them on those terms. The quality they have in the build-up, on the second balls, it’s difficult.”

On whether he regrets the sales of Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko

“The club made the decisions they believe they needed to take. Everyone agreed. The players wanted to leave, the club wanted to sell, and the club wanted to buy. It’s more than just one person. They’re happy and we’re happy. We have no regrets.”

On what Erling Haaland is like off the pitch

“I’ve said many times; exceptional. We have been very impressed with how he’s behaved, his mood and his love for the club. Exceptional.”

On how to stop Erling Haaland

“I don’t know, I didn’t speak to him (Mikel Arteta and how he will try to stop Haaland). From what he has shown, it is difficult to stop him. We played against him at Dortmund, try and have 70% or 80% ball possession. It’s going to be a lot of transitions, they plan to play an aggressive game, man-to-man around the pitch.”

On how friendships impact rivalries in football

“Nothing changes, what I think about him. He lives in London, I live here, so we speak less. We’re rivals right now, that happens, but nothing has changed. It’s not the first time in sport history (that this has happened). I was a football player, I had friends in other teams, you want to win, but in the end the relationship remains.”

On how to control more of the ball against Arsenal

“When a team decides to be aggressive, there is always spaces. It will not be a game when one team has 65, 70 per cent possession tomorrow. It’s not going to happen.”

On how good of a job Mikel Arteta has done at Arsenal

“I think the development of the club since Mikel took over, it’s obvious. When you talk about a manager, I’m a trainer, football trainer, not a manager. But I have the feeling Mikel changed the attitude of the club. Support from the hierarchy of the club, and that’s why the success is there. It used to be a top six but now it’s going to be a top eight competing for the top because Newcastle are there now.”

On whether Manchester City need to be perfect against Arsenal

“Perfection doesn’t exist in football. You can not be perfect and win the game. We know what happened with Bayern Munich and what will happen in the future your standard has to be so, so high because teams demand you to be really good. We will try to impose our game.”

On what makes Manchester City so good at this stage of the season

“I never believe about the training conditions. People say when we lose the game, the first argument is the physicality is not good. That is bull****. My team arrive at the end of the season knowing if they lose games it will be over.

“That’s why in October, November you can’t have that feeling. When we got 100 points we started everything as a final, when we start seasons after back-to-back titles they don’t feel like finals. But now I get that feeling cause it’s really really close.

“To arrive at this point in the league to have the chances in the hands – but they [Arsenal] have the chance too, the destiny will be in their hands if they win, but if we win destiny will be in our hands in the seven games left we have.”