Pep Guardiola aims transfer dig at Arsenal and Mikel Arteta ahead of Man City clash

Pep Guardiola believes Arsenal receive more lenient treatment over their transfer expenditure compared to Manchester City as the two clubs gear up for another encounter this weekend.

City and Arsenal have cultivated an increasingly acrimonious relationship both on and off the field in recent seasons, with Guardiola highlighting the Gunners' £300million summer outlay to illustrate how they face different scrutiny when opening their chequebook.

Arsenal's transfer window brought their total expenditure since summer 2021 to over £900million, which narrowly exceeds City's spending during the same timeframe. However, whilst Guardiola's squad has accumulated trophies, Arsenal remain empty-handed, prompting the Blues manager to deploy sarcasm in making his argument.

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"I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta, if he wins the title, it will be just because he spent, not because he worked a lot or his players," said Guardiola.

"It's like Liverpool. If Arne (Slot) wins again, it will be because he spent a lot of money. Right? Because it's not just Man City that happened. It's for all of them.", reports the Manchester Evening News.

"Every club can do whatever they want. I know how they've been treated is completely different, but what he wants to spend is because they want it and it's fine. All I can say is they have been wise. They spent what they believe they can to compete against the best teams in the Premier League and Europe."

Arsenal have splashed out over £48million this summer to bring in four new faces - Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke - as they aim to clinch their first title in 22 years.

Guardiola recognises the strengthening of the Gunners' squad and has cautioned his team about the formidable challenge they will face at the Emirates.

"Window by window, step by step, Arsenal is getting better. So last season in Europe, they made an incredible step forward and they are for me the most solid team," he commented.

"They don't make mistakes in the back and are this incredibly solid team. They have space in front, they have set pieces with Nico Jover, who was here. So it's in every department, what a team in every department."

The match against Arsenal is City's toughest test of the season so far, having won two and lost two of their opening four Premier League matches.

Securing a victory at the Emirates would certainly alter the perception of their start to the season, but Guardiola downplayed the significance of the game, stating he won't be checking the league standings until Christmas.

"Sir Alex Ferguson, when I arrived here, said to Brian Kidd, in the Premier League, you have to, before Boxing Day, stay close to the top four. And after that you can think about it," Guardiola recalled.

"Last season, after Boxing Day, we were in another country. So that's why, let's go today and we'll see what happens. There are many games. For experience, in the six Premier Leagues, I think four or five, we were in December, January, behind Liverpool. And behind Arsenal. And at the end, we won it. So that's why, see the team going up. That is all my concern right now.

"See the team make a step forward every day. We're not going to win the Premier League on Sunday. We're not going to lose the Premier League on Sunday. So we see the team, that we are better than last season there, and we are better and continue a little bit, many good things that we have done in these two games, and continue with that."