Guardiola: Me and Arteta will soon fight on the touchline

The pair meet tonight when Guardiola's reigning Premier League champions host the competition's current leaders in the Cup.

FRIENDS REUNITED: Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola, former colleagues who'll face off again tonight. Picture: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

Pep Guardiola accepts he will probably have a touchline bust-up with Mikel Arteta "sooner or later".

The Manchester City manager fears this is inevitable with his friend and former assistant now an increasingly formidable rival.

Yet Guardiola insists any row with the current Arsenal boss, who like him is known for his emotional reactions, would not alter his opinion of someone he continues to hold in high regard.

The two Spaniards meet tonight when Guardiola's reigning Premier League champions host the competition's current leaders in the FA Cup fourth round.

"Merry Christmas and Happy New Year was the last time (we spoke)," said Guardiola, who hired Arteta as his assistant when he arrived at City in 2016.

"He's a rival, of course he is. He wants to beat me and I want to beat him.

"I know how we both are and in defeat we are not the best friends in the world.

"From my point of view I have a huge respect for him as a person, as a manager. That's not going to change if we're going to fight on the touchline.

"Sooner or later it's going to happen, I guess, but when that is going to happen it's not going to change the respect I have (for him) or anything."

The battle on the touchline adds an intriguing layer to what will be the first of three contests between the two sides in the second half of the season.

Arteta's conduct in the technical area has been the subject of criticism in light of his booking during last week's victory over Manchester United, but Guardiola was keen to defend him in this respect.

"When you are top of the league they have to undermine you for another reason, and they are doing that right now. I know quite well this situation.

"Anything can happen on the touchline in the moments of the game. I teach him few things but this comes from himself, his mum and dad, his character and that was already there.

"I know him and I had the feeling during the time we worked together that what he is doing is not fake, it is him.

"When we were making a training session and in a game, always he was complaining about referees, and that was as an assistant coach. It is what it is.

"So after that I am not a judge. Everyone is everyone and sometimes I behave as well in this way."

Arteta spent three years as Guardiola's assistant manager at Manchester City before leaving to take charge of the Gunners just over three years ago.

He has since had some difficult times - with pressure particularly intense after three successive defeats at the start of last season - but the situation has now turned dramatically.

Arsenal currently have a five-point lead over champions City at the top of the Premier League, with a game in hand, ahead of this intriguing clash between the two clubs in the FA Cup.

Guardiola said: "I said all my comments about Mikel when he was here and in the first seasons.

"I had the feeling, we knew it when he was here, (about) his ability for City.

"It is the biggest compliment for Arsenal as well, for the hierarchy, the sporting director, the club, for backing him in the bad moments and trusting him and keeping him and relying on him.

"I guess it was not easy because important figures were dropped, and to do this the people had to support him, but that happened.

"That's why, at the end, you need time, you need investment and the results are there. It is a challenge for us to challenge them."

Guardiola believes the clash with Arsenal will be a good measure of his Manchester City side's strength.

"A team with 50 points in one leg (half of the season) is the best. We have to prove how far away or how close we are."

Arsenal are thriving this season under Mikel Arteta and Guardiola is not surprised to see his former assistant doing so well.

He said: "I had the feeling. We knew it when he was here. The biggest compliment for Arsenal as well, for backing him in the bad moments and trusting him, and keeping him and relying on him.

Phil Foden is City's main injury concern ahead of the game having missed last weekend's victory over Wolves with a foot problem.

Guardiola said at a press conference on Thursday: "He is getting better. We have training this afternoon."