After Arteta left me, I promised he will never win anything here because…”: Pep Guardiola reveals why he has been hurting Arsenal since 2022, apologised to Arsenal fans after losing the Premier League to them. Pep Guardiola has explained why he has been hurting Arsenal for years and apologised to Arsenal fans

The story did not start on the night Arsenal finally lifted the Premier League trophy. It did not begin with the celebrations, the red flares, the tears of joy, or the long-awaited moment that ended more than two decades of waiting. No, this story had been building for years, slowly, quietly, like a fire burning underneath the surface, waiting for the right moment to explode.

And when it finally came out, it shocked everyone.

Because the words did not come from just anyone. They came from Pep Guardiola, the man who had dominated English football for years, the man who had turned Manchester City into a machine that almost no one could stop.

But this time, things were different.

This time, he was not speaking as the winner.

This time, he was speaking as the man who had just lost the title.

And what he said changed everything.

“After Arteta left me, I promised he will never win anything here…”

Those words hit hard.

They carried emotion, history, and something deeper than football.

Because this was not just about tactics or matches or trophies.

This was personal.

To understand it, you have to go back to the beginning, back to when Mikel Arteta was not yet the manager of Arsenal, back to when he was standing right beside Guardiola, learning, observing, growing.

Arteta was more than just an assistant. He was trusted. He was close. He was part of Guardiola’s inner circle during some of the most successful years at Manchester City. Together, they built a team that played some of the best football England had ever seen.

They celebrated together. They worked together. They thought the same way.

Or at least, that is what it looked like from the outside.

But football is never that simple.

Because behind every partnership, there are ambitions.

And Arteta had his own.

When Arsenal came calling, offering him the chance to become their manager, it was an opportunity he could not ignore. It was a chance to lead, to build his own team, to prove himself.

So he left.

And that moment changed everything.

At first, there was respect. Guardiola supported him publicly. He wished him well. He spoke about how proud he was to see Arteta take such a big step in his career.

But inside, something shifted.

Because losing someone you trust is never easy.

Especially when that person becomes your rival.

From that moment, the dynamic changed. It was no longer mentor and student. It became competitor versus competitor.

And in the years that followed, Manchester City kept winning.

Again and again.

Every time Arsenal tried to rise, City were there to push them back down.

Every time Arsenal got close, City pulled away.

It became a pattern.

A painful one for Arsenal fans.

They watched their team improve under Arteta. They saw progress. They believed in the project. But every season, when it mattered most, Manchester City stood in their way.

And now, Guardiola has finally admitted that there was more behind it than just football.

There was emotion.

There was motivation.

There was something personal driving him.

When he said those words, it felt like a confession.

Not of hatred, but of intensity.

Of how seriously he took the challenge.

Of how deeply he felt the competition.

Because for Guardiola, football is not just a job. It is everything. It is obsession. It is control. It is perfection.

And when someone leaves his side and becomes a direct rival, it creates a different kind of fire.

A fire that pushes him even harder.

A fire that makes him want to prove something.

And for years, that fire burned bright.

Manchester City dominated. They won titles. They broke records. They played football that looked almost impossible to stop.

While Arsenal kept chasing.

Kept trying.

Kept believing.

Until finally, this season, everything changed.

The race was tight. Every game mattered. Every point counted. Arsenal did not give up. They kept winning, kept pushing, kept putting pressure on City.

And then came the moment that decided it all.

A draw.

A single result that ended Manchester City’s hopes.

A 1-1 game that felt like a loss.

And just like that, it was over.

Arsenal were champions.

For the first time in 22 years.

The celebrations were loud. The emotions were real. The journey had been long, and now it was complete.

But for Guardiola, it was a different feeling.

It was the end of something.

Not just the end of a title race, but maybe the end of a cycle.

Because after the match, something unusual happened.

He did not just speak about the game.

He spoke about Arteta.

He spoke about the past.

And most importantly, he apologised.

That was the part that shocked everyone.

Because Guardiola is not known for apologies like this.

He is known for confidence, for control, for focus.

But this time, he showed something else.

Honesty.

He admitted that his desire to win against Arsenal had been stronger than usual.

That facing Arteta was different.

That the competition had become personal in a way he did not expect.

And he apologised to Arsenal fans.

Not because he did something wrong on the pitch.

But because of the intensity behind it all.

Because of the emotions that had driven him.

It was a rare moment.

A human moment.

And it showed a different side of Guardiola.

A side that people do not always see.

Because behind the trophies, behind the tactics, behind the success, there is still a person.

Someone who feels.

Someone who reacts.

Someone who carries relationships, memories, and emotions.

For Arsenal fans, the apology meant something.

It did not erase the pain of the past years.

It did not change the results.

But it gave context.

It gave understanding.

It showed that their struggle had not been ignored.

That their journey had been part of something bigger.

And now, they had finally broken through.

For Arteta, this moment was special in a different way.

Because this was not just about winning the league.

It was about proving himself.

About stepping out of Guardiola’s shadow.

About building something of his own.

And now, he had done it.

He had taken Arsenal to the top.

He had beaten his former mentor.

He had written his own story.

But even in victory, there was respect.

Because Arteta knows what Guardiola means to his career.

He knows what he learned from him.

He knows how much influence he had.

And that connection will always be there.

Even as rivals.

Even after everything.

For Manchester City, this moment brings questions.

Big ones.

Because losing the title is one thing.

But what comes next is even more important.

Will Guardiola stay?

Will he rebuild?

Will he find a new way to push the team forward?

Or is this the beginning of a new chapter?

The players will also feel it.

Because they have been part of something special.

A team that dominated for years.

A team that set the standard.

But now, they have been beaten.

And in football, that changes everything.

It creates doubt.

It creates motivation.

It creates a new challenge.

And how they respond will define the future.

For the fans, it is a moment of mixed emotions.

Pride in what the team has achieved.

Disappointment in how it ended.

And curiosity about what comes next.

Because nothing stays the same forever.

Even the greatest teams must change.

Even the greatest managers must decide when to move on.

And right now, Manchester City are standing at that point.

A moment of decision.

A moment of reflection.

A moment that could shape the next era.

But while City look forward, Arsenal are celebrating the present.

Because moments like this do not come often.

Moments where everything comes together.

Where years of hard work finally pay off.

Where belief turns into reality.

And for their fans, this is more than just a title.

It is a reward for patience.

For loyalty.

For never giving up.

And maybe, just maybe, Guardiola’s words will add something extra to that victory.

Because they show how much it meant.

How intense the rivalry had become.

How hard it was to win.

And that makes the achievement even greater.

In the end, football is about stories.

Not just goals and trophies, but emotions, relationships, and moments that stay with us.

And this is one of those stories.

A story of mentorship and rivalry.

Of dominance and resistance.

Of pain and redemption.

Of one manager trying to hold on.

And another rising to the top.

Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta.

Two paths that started together.

Then separated.

Then collided.

And now, after everything, have reached a new chapter.

One where the student has become the champion.

And the teacher, for the first time in a long time, is left watching.

But if there is one thing we know about Guardiola, it is this.

He does not stay down for long.

And this story may not be over yet.