I've known Guardiola since I was 15 — Arteta rejects mind games as title race heats up

Mikel Arteta has insisted his relationship with Pep Guardiola is fundamentally different from the legendary rivalry between Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger.

Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Leeds, Arteta moved to defuse talk of a psychological war after Guardiola recently labeled the Gunners "the best team in the world." For the Arsenal boss, the connection is too deep for traditional mind games to take root.

The comparisons to the frostier rivalries of the 90s and 2000s don't apply at the Emirates, largely because Arteta and Guardiola’s history spans nearly three decades.

"I don't know, I think that relationship [Ferguson and Wenger] was different," Arteta explained during his pre-match press conference.

"I've known Pep since I was 15, and I've lived four and a half years with him every single day, you know, so it is different."

Arteta was quick to point out that personal affection doesn't diminish competitive drive, citing Guardiola’s ability to remain friends with other rivals in the dugout.

"I'm sure that Pep had great relationships as well with Enzo [Maresca], which I'm very aware of, and they work and they can be rivals because as well as the type of person that you have and the relationship that you build."

Despite sitting four points clear at the top of the Premier League, Arteta remains cautious of the "best in the world" tag being used to pile pressure on his young squad.

While he acknowledged it is "always better to hear positive things," he was firm in his belief that Arsenal must stay grounded.

"We are doing a lot of things right, but we are far from perfect," he warned.

"To be related to that [best in the world], you have to win a lot of things, and we haven’t. Our only aim is to sustain the level we are doing."