Pep Guardiola has praised Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal team for an “incredible gesture” following the League Cup final last Sunday.
Pep Guardiola was obviously pleased to win the League Cup last weekend, with his Manchester City team coming out 2-0 winners against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side.
But speaking since that final, the City boss has admitted he wasn’t just happy to have won, but to have won against such a strong Arsenal team.
“It’s against which team we won,” Guardiola said. “This is the strongest one in Europe right now. Champions League look, and the Premier League. To beat them for many aspects, it looks so difficult for many years, but especially this season.
“Of course, Carabao Cup, five in 10 years, we’re happy, but especially against them (Arsenal).”
Guardiola went on to thank Arsenal for their gesture after the game, with Arteta and the team staying on the pitch and waiting for City to come down the stairs from their trophy lift before leaving.
“I have a huge respect,” Guardiola added. “I want to say thank you because they waited, all the team, until we were down. That was an incredible gesture on the part of Mikel and their people.”
Though primarily about showing respect to their opponents on the day, Arsenal fans will hope that the team’s gesture will also act as motivation for the remainder of the season.
If Arteta and his players can use this cup final defeat to drive them on to success in the Premier League, the FA Cup, or the Champions League, or more than one of those competitions, then the pain of this defeat will be quickly forgotten.
But if there are further collapses from the Gunners over the next couple of months, it’s inevitable that this will be viewed as the beginning of the end for those trophy hopes.