Mikel Arteta

Pep Guardiola is in a title race against his former assistant, while his old captains are on course for league glory elsewhere. The Man City boss discusses ...

That is the most important thing. And there are an incredible amount of aspects to be able to play the way they are playing that are away from my control. Is it a view that he still holds? In 20 years, if there are managers who like the way that Arsenal or Barcelona or Burnley or Man City are playing, their team will play in that way." That is why it is a little bit different." But I would say it is a question for them." "The passes are always possible to do, all the time. But I had this feeling that the players in that period, they were quicker in the legs." And yet, for all the physical prowess of the modern player, the statistics show that there are fewer tackles in the Premier League than there were even a decade ago. "It is just that football now is different. But he will be in his position primarily because of that same ability to pass the football. It is the football being described by Guardiola back then that would appear unrecognisable to younger readers.