This archive report was first published on 22 September 2019.
Manchester City's Premier League title defence got back on track with an 8-0 thrashing of Watford at the Etihad Stadium on September 21, 2019.
However, the real story of the day was Pep Guardiola's endorsement of Mikel Arteta as his potential successor.
Guardiola, who has been impressed by Arteta's work as his assistant since joining City from Bayern Munich, believes the 37-year-old Spaniard has the potential to become a top manager.
"I'm pretty sure, yes. He will have success, yes. He had offers to leave but he decided to stay – thanks. Sooner or later he's going to be a manager. He's a young, young coach," Guardiola said.
Guardiola also praised Arteta's experience in handling big players and teams, saying: "He's only 37 but he has experience already of handling big players and teams."
Arteta, who has already rejected offers from Arsenal and Newcastle in the last 14 months, has been working as Guardiola's assistant at City since 2016, when he took charge of the team.
