Mikel Arteta has said failing to maintain his “great” relationship with Pep Guardiola amid a title race would set a “bad example” for sport and instead pointed to the respectful rivalry between tennis legends Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.

The pair first met at Barcelona’s La Masia academy when Arteta was just 15 years old and he later worked under Guardiola at Manchester City for three seasons prior to becoming Arsenal boss in 2019.

City and Arsenal have since become perennial title challengers, with the Gunners aiming to extend their four-point lead at the top when facing Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday.

Guardiola last week labelled Arsenal as “the best team in the world” and has talked up City’s knowhow in lasting the pace having won six of the last eight Premier Leagues while the Gunners have not lifted the trophy since 2004.

Asked on Friday if there was a possibility Guardiola was playing mind games, Arteta replied: “With me? I don’t think so. We don’t talk like with my wife every three days but we talk generally. He talks about how he feels and that’s it. If there are mind games, there are mind games but I don’t pay too much attention because at the end you have to go on the pitch and deliver.”

Pushed on how some people may find it surprising he can stay close to a rival like Guardiola, Arteta cited the Nadal-Federer era in tennis, when the pair won 42 Grand Slam titles between them during an era in which they dominated the sport.

“For me the surprising thing would be not to [maintain that relationship],” Arteta said. “I think it would be a really bad example for sport. In sport you have to learn and probably the biggest lesson that sport has given us is the relationship that for example that Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer had.

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“I am not at that level at all. But one of the best in the history, or the two best sportsmen, the relationship they have between them when they have to play a final, one against one against each other so how the hell am I not going to have a great relationship with someone that I admire, I worked with and is a colleague? But it is the same as any other opponent. When it goes to the court, to the pitch, that’s for the winner.”

City have sought to close the gap by signing Marc Guéhi and Antoine Semenyo this month in deals totalling £84 million ($115m).

“That’s business,” Arteta said. “I know what they are going to do and what they’ve been doing over the last 10-15 years. Obviously, no surprise. They want to win and they will do everything they can to win.”

Arsenal expect to have William Saliba and Jurriën Timber available after missing the midweek Champions League win over Kairat.