Mikel Arteta 'stole everything' from Pep Guardiola as Arsenal boss told he's a copycat

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Ruud Gullit says Mikel Arteta "stole" Pep Guardiola's system and it has been a key reason for his success at Arsenal . The Gunners manager pipped his former Manchester City colleague to the Premier League title this season.

It has now been confirmed that City boss Guardiola will leave the club when the campaign concludes after a trophy-laden decade at the helm. The 55-year-old picked up 17 major trophies during his tenure, including six league crowns.

Though he won't be in an English dugout next season , his impact on the game will still linger, as ex-Chelsea star Gullit claims many managers, including the top-flight-winning Arteta , have copied Guardiola's methods.

Speaking to 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 [been] competing for the title. 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.

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"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."

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Speaking to Sky Sports in 2023, Guardiola opened up about his tactical vision, admitting that his methods are evergreen. He said: "I am pretty sure what worked 20 or 30 years ago playing that way would work today.

"Not because Arsenal or Barcelona is doing that. Football is football since it was created. The lines are the same. The pitch is the same. It is not 14 against 14, it is 11 against 11. It is how well you read the situations.

"The passes are always possible to do, all the time. That is 100 per cent. Afterwards, it is the quality of the players that we have up front, many other aspects, but to play football like they played in the '70s with Brazil, or in the '80s or the '90s, you can do it, of course.

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"It depends on the feelings of the managers. The way your team want to play. It is as simple as that. In 20 years, if there are managers who like the way that Arsenal or Barcelona or Man City are playing, their team will play in that way."

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