By: Kamusime Barnabs
Pep Guardiola fears semi-final curse against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal in FA Cup
Manchester City boss has lost seven out of 21 semi-finals in his managerial career, and prepares to face Arteta saying his former No2 is the right man to lead the Gunners to bright future
Pep Guardiola fears he could fall victim to his semi-final troubles again today – at the hands of his former Manchester City assistant Mikel Arteta.
For all his glittering success with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City, Guardiola has lost seven of the 21 semi-finals he has been involved in as a manager.
By his own admission, he has found semis a tougher hurdle to clear than finals, which is why he is wary about Saturday’s Wembley clash with Arteta’s Arsenal.
Asked about the prospect of an all-Manchester final with United, Guardiola cited his dubious semi-final record as a reason not to look too far ahead.
“I would say that United have to beat Chelsea and we have to beat Arsenal to do this,” said Guardiola.
“And on both sides, that’s not easy. I don’t know what to say, I’m not even thinking for one second about who our opponent could be in the final.
“I struggled a lot in my career in the semi-finals. It was easier in the finals. I handled them much, much better.
“I’ve lost many more semis than finals I’ve played. It’s more difficult, so after that we’ll see what happens.
“The players know it will be so tight. I have the same opinion of Arsenal and Mikel.
Guardiola says his former protege Arteta has help
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