Pep Guardiola hails 'extraordinary' Mikel Arteta and claims Arsenal are 'one of the toughest opponents' in Europe ahead of trip to Emirates

The last time City and Arsenal clashed in the Premier League was just seven months back in north London, where Arteta's side dominated and won the fixture 5-1. Ahead of the new season, Arteta spent heavily to bolster his squad, bringing in quality attacking options like Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze to the roster.

Ahead of Sunday's fixture, Guardiola hailed his former assistant as "extraordinary". He also spoke highly of the Gunners squad, who, according to the Cityzens boss, are one of the most balanced and strongest teams in Europe.

Recalling the last meeting between the two clubs, Guardiola said: "The last 15-20 minutes were a disaster. We forgot to do what we have to do. After that, it was easy for Arsenal. Hopefully, it is an unbelievable squad, and this season we can make more of a challenge because Mikel is an extraordinary manager.

"They increase the squad in four or five transfer windows, it is an unbelievable squad and unbelievable team. It is one of the toughest opponents you can find right now in Europe. Step by step, window by window, Arsenal is getting better. Last season in Europe, they made an incredible step forward. For me, it is the most solid team; they don't make mistakes, it's an incredibly solid team. They have pace up front. They have set pieces with Nico [Jover], who was here, in every department we know. I know the quality they have."

He added: "We'll see what we have to do and how players are fit, are expected to play a role in deciding the winner, with Arsenal in a good place for one of those, and we try to complete and be a better team than last season, especially in the last 20, 25 minutes."

The Gunners have made a solid start to their 2025-26 campaign, having won four out of the five matches they have played thus far, including a Champions League fixture. They have conceded just one goal and have scored 11. They will hope to continue their stunning form and extend their unbeaten run against City on Sunday afternoon.