Ruud Gullit believes that if Arsenal are to end their 22-year Premier League title drought this season, then Mikel Arteta should be sending flowers and champagne to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
With the two clubs jostling for the Premier League title, and with Arsenal having the edge after beating Burnley 1-0 on Monday night to lead Man City by five points, Gullit believes that Arteta owes a debt of gratitude to his one-time mentor Guardiola.
When asked if Enzo Maresca would be a contender to replace Guardiola if he were to depart the Etihad Stadium, with reports breaking on Monday night that the Italian is set to do just that, Gullit avoided the question and instead launched a bizarre attack on the generation of managers Guardiola has influenced, specifically Arteta.
In an exclusive interview with MrRaffle.com, Gullit said: “You have to give Pep credit – he created a whole new team and it went through ups and downs, but he’s still competing for the title.
Fantastic coach
“He’s right there. He’s a fantastic coach. And the funniest thing is, everyone who stole Pep’s ideas is doing well. Mikel Arteta stole everything from him.
“He instilled that build-up from the back philosophy, that’s how he won everything. But then people try to mimic it with players who can’t do it.
“How many defenders did Pep buy specifically to play that way? A lot. So if you don’t have those players, don’t do it. Every time I see clubs say, “This is our philosophy” — no, this was Pep’s philosophy.
“And every time I see teams trying to play out from the back, at the most vital moments of the season, they’re losing points because of it.”
Man City take on Bournemouth on Tuesday night – and will be aiming to pick up a win over the Cherries to take the title tussle to the last day of the season.
Arteta’s Arsenal face a tricky trip to Crystal Palace, while Man City have a home encounter with Unai Emery’s high-flying Aston Villa in what could reportedly be Guardiola’s last game in charge of City.
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SportJustSport writers 
Ella Magyar