Arsenal lead the Premier League for over 250+ days this season, however when the pressure mounted in recent weeks, the Gunners crumbled but Pep Guardiola has come to the defence of his title rivals.
Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions this weekend following Arsenal’s defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The result meant Mikel Arteta’s side have only won two of their last eight games in the title race which handed the Premier League trophy to his former-club.
Manchester City played a weaken team against Chelsea after they were already crowned champions, however that didn’t stop them running out 2-0 winners at the Etihad in a party-like atmosphere before and after kick-off.
Manchester City are crowned Premier League champions. [Image Credit: Getty Images]
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta proves his class after sending message to Man City following title win.
During the celebrations after the trophy lift, Pep Guardiola showed his class by taking some time to congratulate Arsenal & Mikel Arteta on the season they’ve had, despite not having enough to beat Manchester City to the title…
Pep Guardiola: “I would like, on behalf of all the organisation and myself personally, to congratulate Mikel. Incredible, a big congratulations for what Arsenal has done.”
“I think Mikel has brought Arsenal to the team it was in the past since many years being far away. A similar battle like Liverpool in the previous seasons. So they bring us to our limits.”
“If we don’t make this run of 12 games in a row winning after making 50 points in the first leg, it would have been impossible.”
“They lost some points and we were there. We pushed them and at the end we retained our title.”
Arsenal have been labelled ‘bottlers’ after being eight points clear at the top of the table just over a month ago, however Pep Guardiola disagreed with these claims completely. The Manchester City boss came to the defence of Arsenal & Mikel Arteta.
Pep Guardiola on the criticism that Arsenal ‘bottled it’: “It’s the tendency to underestimate. They are winners. We won two Premier Leagues from Liverpool from one point and they are winners. I don’t buy this product. Just because I got one point better than Liverpool, we are better?”
“We pushed Arsenal but they are exceptional. They should be proud of where they have come from. They have to sustain it, that is the reality, but for me they are winners. They made me think a lot what I had to do to beat them, and they did it to us.”
“Our relentlessness and not giving up and having the feeling that we have to win today otherwise it would not be possible, helped us a lot.”
Arsenal face Wolves on the last day of the Premier League season at the Emirates next weekend which will give the Arsenal supporters a chance to show their appreciation to the players for the great season they’ve had in 2022/23.
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