Mikel Arteta insists he has a clear conscience over Man City's guilty verdict - and remains tight-lipped over talks with Pep Guardiola

· DailyMail

Arteta spent three-and-a-half years as assistant coach at City from 2016 to 2019, the first two seasons of which fell inside the period under investigation by the Premier League.

City were last week found guilty on 114 of the 115 Premier League charges as an independent commission found the former champions had used 'sham' contracts and agreements to cook their books by around £900million.

Arteta spent three-and-a-half years as assistant coach at City from 2016 to 2019, the first two seasons of which fell inside the period under investigation by the Premier League.

The Spaniard was still Guardiola's understudy when Der Spiegel published the leaked documents on City's finances, as well as when UEFA and the Premier League launched their investigations.

Despite it all, the Gunners head coach endeavoured to flat-bat any questions that came his way on Friday afternoon about the City scandal and what it means for English football. Arteta also refused to say whether he'd spoken to Guardiola in the aftermath of the verdict, one which City are appealing.

The most Arteta gave away was when he was asked if, despite his position as a senior figure at City, his conscience remained clear. 'Yes,' was his short response.

> 'This has been going on for various years,' he added to a further question. 'That process is still not finished. So it is very difficult to express how I feel because it is not resolved. When it is resolved I can talk with clarity and tell you exactly how I feel.

> 'That process has to be resolved and we need to trust that the people in charge will do it in the timeframe that they believe is the best for everybody.'

Arteta, who signed a new contract this week, also hoped the fallout from City's cheating hasn't impacted the Premier League's standing around the world.

> 'I want to think that it doesn't, but I don't know,' he said. 'Uncertainty is not in our control and our control is to bring everything that we can individually through the club to maintain the position that we have to be the best league in the world.'

When asked if he still believes it is the best league in the world, he replied: 'One hundred per cent.'

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