Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has once again brought up tactical fouls and insisted he doesn't condone in comments related to new Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta.
There have been accusations levelled at Guardiola's City that they are prepared to foul regularly to prevent opposing teams from building attacks, something which Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp stoked the fire of earlier this season.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came up with the accusation last season too ahead of facing City, with Guardiola firmly denying that he condones it.
Solskjaer has again suggested that City use the tactic when speaking ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg tie against the Blues this evening.
He has said a 'few teams have stopped us with those little fouls'.
It seems those comments have since irked Guardiola once more, who even dragged Arteta into the debate this week during his pre-match press conference.
"I have said many times, when I was at Barcelona and here, I have never in my life had a meeting where I have talked to my players about tactical fouls," Guardiola told the press.
"It happens sometimes because you are late and because they are so fast, and they are so quick, that you make a foul.
"It’s simple – you lose the ball and they make incredible fast transitions and sometimes you are late and in that second you make a foul. If people judge our legacy as tactical fouling it is their problem not ours."
During his pre-match press conference ahead of facing United, it was brought up that an Amazon documentary 'All of Nothing' shot during the 2017/18 campaign, appeared to show former City assistant Arteta encouraging tactical fouls.
Guardiola responded: "So you have to go to London and to ask Mikel."
Asked if he was not aware of what the new Arsenal boss had said, Guardiola added: "I didn’t say that."
