'Respect Arsenal a lot' – Guardiola warns Man City fans after viral bottle meme

Pep Guardiola has urged Manchester City supporters to show respect to Arsenal ahead of their crucial title clash.

His comments come in the wake of a viral fan celebration that appeared to mock the league leaders.

The incident happened during Manchester City’s dominant 3-0 win over Chelsea, where a supporter was seen celebrating with an Arsenal-branded bottle in a gesture that quickly spread across social media.

While Guardiola did not directly reference the clip, his message was clear, Arsenal deserve respect, not ridicule.

The Manchester City boss instead chose to highlight the Gunners’ remarkable consistency this season, pointing to their impressive record across domestic and European competitions.

“They’ve lost very few games… in the Champions League they didn’t lose once,” Guardiola noted, underlining just how difficult the upcoming encounter will be.

Looking ahead to the showdown at the Etihad, Guardiola described Arsenal as one of the best teams in both England and Europe.

“The respect I have for Arsenal… what they’ve done in the last two or three years… they are an extraordinary team,” he said.

He also acknowledged how difficult it is to beat Arteta’s side, especially twice in a short period. “Beating Arsenal once is so difficult, imagine beating them twice,” he added, stressing the mental and tactical preparation required.

Guardiola concluded with a direct message to fans: “Respect Arsenal a lot.” With the title race finely poised, the Spaniard’s warning highlights both the stakes of the fixture and the quality of the opposition City must overcome.