While Arsenal learned to compete at the highest level, Guardiola continued to evolve.
That tension – between adapting and remaining faithful to an idea – defines the 55-year-old’s career.
“He starts incorporating new concepts,” said Segura. “Above all defensive transition, that’s where he evolves enormously.
“Arteta incorporated more physical profiles than Pep. Pep seeks more technical players… Arteta looks for strength, speed, power.”
But there are still plenty of points of convergence.
“Both have looked for pieces to improve the offensive transition,” added Segura. “City with [Erling] Haaland… Arteta with [Viktor] Gyokeres.”
There is an element where the comparison becomes most revealing. In elite football, what defines coaches is how they respond to difficulty.
Arteta is in that moment now. He has built a team capable of competing with the best. But the final step – winning consistently at the very top – is where he wants to get to.
When results do not follow, the temptation is always the same; change and react to external pressure. Arteta has not abandoned those ideas. He has doubled down. He has asked more of his players, pushed harder but within the same framework.
In elite sport, losing is considered part of the process. The next step is evolving and trying again with the same effort, or more.
Guardiola has lived that cycle repeatedly. After setbacks, after criticism, he has returned to his principles and expanded them.
Former Burnley, Everton and Nottingham Forest boss Sean Dyche has witnessed that resilience up close.
“In difficult times, Pep didn’t panic,” he said. “He adjusted, but he stayed true to what he believes.
“I think it’s brilliant management from Pep, and Arteta… they have tried to win a certain way, but they have also evolved to play in ways that we knew before.”
There is another layer to the challenge Arteta faces, one created, in part, by Guardiola himself.
“The biggest shift in football now is that winning isn’t enough anymore,” added Dyche. “People ask how you win.”
Guardiola changed expectations.
So now Arsenal, despite their development, are judged on results of course, but also on perception.
