Now the rivalry between Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta is only one-sided in one respect. Even as the Manchester City manager took his record against his former sidekick to seven wins in eight games, he was offered evidence his old assistant is becoming a formidable adversary.
The current Premier League champions eliminated the league leaders from the FA Cup, inflicting just Arsenal’s fourth defeat of the season, but their duel is shaping up as the defining contest of the second half of the season. Nathan Ake’s goal made City the first team to reach the FA Cup fifth round but the performance of Arteta’s mix-and-match side indicated Arsenal could have staying power in the title race.
