Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he has a clear conscience over his time at Manchester City when asked directly by journalists at his press conference on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, as City continues to fight financial charges from an independent commission. Asked if his conscience was clear, Arteta answered with a single word: “Yes.”
The question came days after Arteta signed a new contract keeping him at Arsenal through 2030, a deal reported by ESPN that makes him the highest-paid manager in the Premier League, according to Yahoo Sports.
Arteta’s Response On Man City Charges
An independent commission found that Manchester City artificially inflated revenue by £830 million between the 2009/10 and 2017/18 seasons, according to Sky Sports. Arteta worked as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City for three-and-a-half seasons, with two of those years falling inside the period covered by the investigation.
Arteta declined to say whether the charges had changed how he views his time at the club. Pressed on whether his memories had been tainted, he did not answer the question, Sky Sports reported.
He did address the unresolved nature of the case when asked how he felt about it overall. “The thing is that this has been going for various years. The process is still not finished, so it’s very difficult to express how I feel because it’s not resolved,” Arteta said.
“When it’s resolved, I can talk with clarity and tell you exactly how I feel. I think that process has to be resolved in a way. And we need to trust that the people who are in charge doing that will do it in the timeframe that they believe is best for everybody.”
What It Means
Arteta’s comments separate his personal standing from the outcome of City’s case, which remains open. Manchester City have lodged an appeal and deny all wrongdoing in relation to the charges, meaning no final finding against the club has been confirmed.
By saying the matter is unresolved, Arteta avoided passing judgment on his former employer while also declining to distance himself from the success he was part of there.
Arteta On The Premier League And His Time At City
Arteta also spoke generally about the division he has worked in for more than two decades. “It’s the best league in the world for many reasons. I’ve been here for over 20 years and it will continue to be the best league in the world,” he said.
“I feel privileged to be where I am. And there are a few clubs who have been extremely good and managed resources in an intelligent way.”
On the trophies he won as Guardiola’s assistant, Arteta described the emotional weight those moments still carry for him. “I feel proud and very emotional when I think about how we won it, the moments that we had together,” he said. “It’s a unique and genuine feeling that I have.”
Context
Arteta’s remarks came in the same week he agreed his new long-term deal with Arsenal, a move reported by CBS Sports alongside his comments on the City case. The timing put the two storylines, his contract security at Arsenal and his past at City, in front of reporters at the same press conference.
What’s Next
Manchester City’s appeal against the commission’s findings remains ongoing, with no resolution date confirmed. Arteta said he would wait for that process to conclude before commenting further on how he feels about the case.
More EPL news from Total Apex Sports.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
