Pep Guardiola Details How He Helped Mikel Arteta Keep Arsenal Job

• Mikel Arteta faced sack calls just weeks after he landed the Arsenal job in December 2019
• A section of fans wanted the Spaniard sacked after a string of poor results, including a 5-0 defeat against City
• However, Gunners chiefs stuck by him, with Pep also publicly supporting him

Pep Guardiola has opened up on how he played a key part in helping Mikel Arteta keep his Arsenal job.

Arteta was appointed Arsenal boss back in December 2019 on a three-and-a-half-year deal as the permanent replacement for Unai Emery, who had been sacked at the time.

According to Sky Sports, Arteta was attached to Manchester City at the time, where he was Guardiola's assistant.

However, Arteta endured a rocky start to life as Gunners boss, with the north Londoners losing the first three league games.

Morgan Mammila wants his Chippa United side to be the Brighton of South African football

Football

The woeful run included a 5-0 mauling by City at the Etihad, a result that saw a section of fans call for Arteta's sacking.

How Pep saved Arteta's job

However, The Mirror reports that Pep sprang to the defence of Arteta as he faced an uncertain future with the Gunners.

Speaking ahead of City's trip to the Emirates on Sunday, Guardiola reflected on his role in helping Arteta keep his job at the Emirates, saying:

“After what happened in the first 20 minutes he understood it perfectly, the reasons why and adapted individually and collectively. I am not usually here to defend colleagues because everyone can defend themselves, we all respect each other but we are not friends," Pep said via The Mirror.

“But Mikel is an exception, he is completely different. We worked together for two or three years with a lot of success. I said many times I learned a lot. And I was pretty convinced that he would be good for Arsenal because I knew him here, how he communicated with the players, his ideas. I was convinced," he continued.

Lionel Messi: Houston Dynamo manager refuses to open up on plan to stop Argentine

Football

Haaland pinpoints moment Arsenal lost title

Earlier, Sports Brief reported Erling Haaland has highlighted the moment he knew Arsenal would not beat Manchester City to the Premier League title last season.

The Gunners were in a pole position to secure the crown under Mikel Arteta after a dominant run through the campaign.

Arteta's charges enjoyed a significant advantage over City in the title race for the better part of the season and were the odds favourites to cart home the title.