Manchester City Insider Reveals How Mikel Arteta Influenced Opening Day Victory Over Arsenal
A Pep Guardiola insider has revealed how tactical tweaks made by Mikel Arteta were key to Manchester City's second goal against Arsenal on Sunday.
The reigning Premier League champions opened their title defence with a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Gunners, with Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva registering their names on the score sheet.
When the latter scored, however, Guardiola and fellow coach Rodolfo Borrell instantaneously threw their arms around the former Arsenal midfielder in celebration - images which suggested Arteta played an instrumental role in landing the knockout blow.
A role which was confirmed by Martí Perarnau - who wrote two books on Guardiola's spell at the helm of Bayern Munich - when he spoke to the 93:20 Podcast, via Goal.
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“Do you remember from Sunday’s game, after the second goal, Pep’s hug with Mikel?” Perarnau said.
“That was because Mikel said to Mendy, ‘Don’t make a high cross when you get to the end line, make a cut-back along the floor,’ and after that Bernardo scored the goal.
“He [also] talked with Mendy and Sterling to try to make a double pass before the last cut-back.”
And that is exactly how the goal transpired in what was a further example of Arteta's growing influence at the Etihad after being promoted to Guardiola's second man in change following the departure of Domenec Torrent to New York City over the summer.
The 36-year-old was strongly linked with the vacant managers position at the Emirates over the summer, only for the Gunners to back out of talks and instead appoint Unai Emery. A move which allowed the former Arsenal man to gain a deeper insight into the club's personnel.
