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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Jonathan Gorrie

Pep Guardiola has already claimed Arsenal are ‘back’ after Mikel Arteta changed ‘the club itself’

Pep Guardiola has already delivered his verdict on Arsenal as former assistant Mikel Arteta leads a title challenge in north London.

With Manchester City having lost to Liverpool, it is Arteta’s side who lead the Premier League.

Arsenal have a four-point gap on the champions, emerging as City’s closest challengers in the opening weeks of the season. Having overcome Tottenham and Liverpool, they appear to have put last season’s disappointment behind them.

The resurgence at the Emirates Stadium goes beyond merely the signing of former City striker Gabriel Jesus of course, though it is hard to ignore the connection.

While Arteta is an FA Cup-winning manager in his own right, the sight of Guardiola’s former assistant linking up with Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko makes the battle between the two even more interesting.

Speaking to Football Daily last week, Guardiola said: “He changed the team, but not just the team, the club itself. Arsenal is back.”

Arsenal were due to host City this week but saw the game delayed to accommodate their cancelled Europa League tie with PSV Eindhoven following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

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