Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has laboriously struggled with his Gunners in the Premier League this season and are now perched precariously near the relegation end of the table.
The former Manchester City assistant manager confirmed he has received advice from Etihad manager and ex mentor Pep Guardiola amid Arsenal’s nebulous start to the Premier League season.
Arsenal have failed miserably to win any of their last five league fixtures, losing four, with their lackluster form leaving them 15th in the Premier League table.
The pressure has already been piling on Arteta to turn things around and the Spaniard confirmed he has received some words of advice from Guardiola on how to end the Gunners’ slump.
The two sides meet in the Carabao Cup tonight, making this the fourth encounter n the pitch between Arteta and his former boss since taking charge at the Emirates Stadium. However, Arteta is not expecting any Guardiola to pull any punches this evening.
“No he won’t, because I know him and he wants to win this competition,” he said when asked whether Guardiola would be taking it easy at the Emirates.
“But he has been incredibly supportive all the time. We always talk, we always are in contact and he’s a really important person in my life regardless of the football.
“And him and other people that are really close to me, they’ve been incredibly supportive and giving me strength, and giving me a lot of good advice I think.”
On a separate note, the EFL have confirmed there will be a new date for this season’s cup final, moving from February to April, with their statement reading:
“It is the objective of the League to stage the Final with as many supporters in attendance as possible and the decision has therefore been taken to move the Final from its original date of Sunday 28 February 2021 to later in the year.
“The number of fans permitted will be dependent on Government guidance in place at the time and it is hoped that moving the date to later in the year will give clubs and their fans the best opportunity to attend in person.”