Arteta, who worked as Guardiola's assistant at City before becoming Arsenal boss, said the controversy would not get in the way of his personal relationship with his fellow Spaniard.

Mikel Arteta stood by Arsenal's defensive tactics in their explosive Premier League clash with Manchester City, saying he would have been "thick" not to learn from previous clashes.

City, who have dominated English football since Guardiola's arrival in 2016, face a hefty points deduction or even expulsion from the league if found guilty on some or all of the 115 charges relating to financial regulations.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola on Friday urged players to lead the fight for change in the heated debate over the dangers posed by an increased fixture schedule as Bayern Munich manager Vincent Kompany demanded a cap on games.

A long-awaited hearing into charges brought by the Premier League in February 2023 is finally set to get underway on Monday.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said he is pleased that the club's long-awaited hearing into 115 charges brought by the Premier League is set to start on Monday.

"The numbers are ridiculous," Guardiola told reporters. "He can compete in terms of goals with Cristiano and Messi. The numbers are unbelievable at his age. He's an incredible threat, hopefully he can be here for many years."

A verdict expected in coming months on Manchester City's alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations will not affect the players' performance, manager Pep Guardiola said ahead of Saturday's home game against Ipswich Town.

Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal will have to be almost perfect in their pursuit of Manchester City if the Gunners are to end their long wait for a Premier League title.

Manchester City will be without Rodri for the start of their Premier League title defence after Pep Guardiola revealed the Spain midfielder has been ruled out of Sunday's opener against Chelsea.

Toni Fernandez, who signed with Barca earlier this month after turning 16, flicked in a left-footed shot past reserve City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega to give the German manager's side a 4-1 win on penalties after the teams played to a 2-2 draw.

De Bruyne has just one year left on his current City contract and the midfielder revealed recently he has spoken with his wife Michele about his future plans.

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag hopes to bolster his chances of avoiding the sack by ruining Manchester City's history bid in the FA Cup final on Saturday.

The Spanish coach has previously won the award four times since he joined the club in 2016. With six league titles, he is now the joint second-most successful coach in the history of English football.

Pep Guardiola's ability to bend the Premier League to his will was once questioned but the Manchester City manager has seen off the early doubters during a period of unprecedented dominance, with his latest triumph making City the first side in English football history to win four top division titles in a row.

"The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying," the Spaniard told Sky News, before clarifying that there would be no immediate departure from the club he has managed since 2016.

"The tennis players say 'the serve to win Wimbledon', the last match, is the most difficult," Guardiola told the BBC.

Manchester City have lost all four Premier League matches they have played at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium but the defending champions must change that when they visit the North London side on Tuesday, manager Pep Guardiola said.

Manchester City have lost all four Premier League matches they have played at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium but the defending champions must change that when they visit the North London side on Tuesday, manager Pep Guardiola said.

If Arsenal fail to beat United, then City can wrap up an unprecedented fourth successive English title with a victory at Tottenham on Tuesday.