The former Rangers and Everton midfielder was in and around the Barcelona set-up when in-coming Man City boss Pep Guardiola was in the first-team and reports have suggested the two could be reunited in the Etihad Stadium dugout next season.
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“I’m very happy to be back”, he told Arsenal Player. “I have big sympathy for Pellegrini – until Sunday”.
“And that is all you want to hear as a player and you knew that if you played well, you would play next week and as a player, that is ideal for you”.
They beat Manuel Pellegrini’s team 0-2 in this fixture last season and won 2-1 at the Emirates when the sides last met in December.
Whoever finishes fourth faces a Champions League play-off before they can reach the group-stage draw, with Manchester United and West Ham remaining hopeful of crashing the party.
“There’s a European Championship and there’s a Copa America [in the summer]”.
Asked if it can affect players deciding to join the club, the 66-year-old replied: “Yes, we experienced that a few times”.
“He would still be a very good player everywhere”. The whole season we’ve been in a Champions League spot from the beginning to the end. If [Tottenham finishes above Arsenal] you can at least say it’s a one-off because it has not happened in 20 years.
If you agree with Merse and think Arsenal will win then….
“No one wants to be in the Europa League until the semi-final maybe”.
Pellegrini has rejected suggestions he was prepared to risk a top-four place in the Barclays Premier League to pursue this season’s Champions League challenge. Victory over the Gunners would lift City back above Arsene Wenger’s side into third in the Premier League.
“They were the best team and they were the best team because they had their best players in their best performance”. “I train with them daily and they have got the mentality and the desire to win but we lack hunger, the mentality that we are [already] winning 1-0 when we go out on to the pitch”.
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RK: The Baggies were very bad last week and Bournemouth weren’t much better but they have had a fantastic season.
