‘Very strange’ - Mikel Arteta sends personal message to Pep Guardiola amid his Man City angst

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits Manchester City’s winless streak must be “very strange” for Pep Guardiola but has suggested it is only a bump in the road while sending a message to his managerial counterpart.

With the Blues not playing until Sunday - when they travel to Premier League leaders Liverpool on December 1 - it means they will go throughout the whole of November without recording a win.

Their last victory in any competition came on October 26 in a narrow 1-0 home triumph over Southampton. They have consequently lost ground in the title race and Champions League table, having also been dumped out of the League Cup by Tottenham Hotspur.

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City, without Rodri for the rest of the season, have conceded 13 times in their last four matches and will fall 11 points behind Liverpool in the title race should they suffer defeat this weekend.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, whose side still sit a point behind City, refuses to see the champions as any less of a danger given their mighty success under Guardiola. However, he acknowledged that their current run of form will be a new experience for them.

“What I’ve made of it is what they’ve done for nine years, how difficult it is to do what they have done consistently,” Arteta said.

“Everybody has a bump. For them it’s very strange because in nine years they never had it. That shows you the level we are in. Everything has to be almost perfect and things have to go your way.”

Guardiola was seen with a scratch on his nose during Man City’s throwaway 3-3 Champions League draw with Feyenoord on Tuesday, and was left with red marks on his head from rubbing his fingers on his scalp in distress as his side threw away a three-goal lead.

Arteta was asked about his former colleague’s emotional state given Man City’s recent poor form on Friday. “That’s something very personal,” he insisted of Guardiola's angst.

“I feel a lot of sympathy for all my colleagues. I know the job and how ruthless this industry is. I know how we get judged for one thing, which is results. I know how difficult it is because personally I have been through that a lot.

"Every defeat is super painful. Just put some perspective into it like we always do and move on because there is always another game."