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Pep Guardiola claimed that Arsenal have been given more favourable treatment than Manchester City for their spending before heading to the Emirates Stadium this weekend.
Arsenal, who hammered last year's deposed champions 5-1 in February, committed to £300million of new signings over the summer as they hunt a first Premier League title since 2004.
That has taken spending under Mikel Arteta since Covid to around £900m and Guardiola, who doesn't shy away from City's massive £874m total in the same period, believes the two clubs are positioned differently.
Guardiola has brushed aside the importance of Sunday's meeting, suggesting that he will not look properly at the table until Christmas – but made a point laced with sarcasm about the transfer market, with City having sold around £550m of talent over the last four years compared to Arsenal's £219m.
'They decided to do it in Arsenal,' Guardiola said. 'Only I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta, if he wins the title it will be just because he spent, not because he worked a lot or his players. It's like Liverpool. If Arne (Slot) win again, it will be because he spent a lot of money, right?
'Because it's not just Man City that happened, right? Listen, for many, many years every club can do whatever he wants.
Pep Guardiola has claimed that Arsenal have received more favourable treatment than Manchester City in terms of their spending
Arsenal under Mikel Arteta have spent around £900m since Covid in their bid to win the Premier League
They committed to to £300million of new signings over the summer, including the likes of Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze
'I know how they've been treated is completely different, but what he wants to spend is because they want it and it's fine.
'All I can say is they have been wise. They spent what they believe they can do it, you know, to compete against the best teams in the Premier League and Europe and they've reached that level.'
Guardiola goes to London in more buoyant mood after two important home victories in four days – first the derby day win over Manchester United and then beating Napoli in their Champions League opener on Thursday.
The City boss has tweaked the midfield shape and has seen returns since the international break, but doesn't know how the team will progress in the long term.
'When I arrived here, (ex-assistant) Brian Kidd said to me that Sir Alex Ferguson told him that you have to stay close to the top four after Boxing Day. Last season, after Boxing Day, we were in another country.
'So that's why, let's go today and we'll see what happens. There are many games. For experience, in the six Premier Leagues titles, I think four or five, we were behind Liverpool in December and January. And behind Arsenal. At the end, we won it.
'Seeing the team going up - that is all my concern right now. See the team make a step forward every day. We're not going to win the Premier League on Sunday. We're not going to lose the Premier League on Sunday.
'We see the team, that we are better than last season there, and we are better and continue a little bit, many good things that we have done in these two games, and continue with that.
'The feeling is important, the vibe of the team, the body language especially. I am focused on that, that the body language of the team has grown up.'
