When people talk about Pep Guardiola and the coaches he’s influenced, Mikel Arteta and Xavi are alway mentioned. They both learned from him in the same way, but the paths they took in football are very different.
Xavi played for him and lived under his tactics at Barcelona. He was right there during the golden years, controlling the tempo next to Iniesta and Busquets.
Arteta, though? He didn’t play under Pep, but after retiring, he joined him at Man City as his assistant. And from all accounts, he soaked up everything, the way Pep ran sessions, how he tweaked systems mid-game, and how he dealt with stars.
Arteta said once, “He’s five steps ahead.” And you can see that influence in how he thinks about football. Xavi? He’s called Pep his inspiration more than once. For him, Guardiola was the blueprint, not just a coach, but a vision of what football could be.
Pep once said about Arteta, “He’s so intelligent. He sees football like few people do.” That’s coming from the man himself.
How Xavi and Arteta Set Up Their Teams on the Pitch
Here’s where they start to split. Big time.
Arteta is all about structure. He’s obsessed with control, not just through the ball, but through positioning.
Arsenal’s system is tight, detailed, almost mathematical. Inverted full-backs, midfield rotations, and a high backline. It’s modern, clean, sharp.
Xavi’s approach? Still possession-based, but a bit more old-school Barça. Midfield overloads, short passes, building through triangles, it’s La Masia football, through and through.
He wants to control games with the ball and wear teams down. That said, it hasn’t always worked. Especially in Europe, his side sometimes looked too flat, too predictable.
Look at Arsenal vs Man City in April 2023, that game was a tactical chess match. Arteta dropped Zinchenko into midfield to disrupt City’s flow, and Ødegaard operated almost like a second pivot to help Rice push forward. Arsenal didn’t win, but it showed how flexible Arteta’s system had become.
Think about when Barcelona played Napoli in the second leg of the Champions League Round of 16 in 2024. Xavi went with his usual 4-3-3 formation and put his trust in Pedri, Gündoğan, and De Jong to run the midfield.
It worked, they passed Napoli to death. Gavi’s movement off the ball was key. But again, it relied heavily on everything going just right.
Xavi once said, “I don't want possession for the sake of it. I want the ball to hurt the opponent.” It shows he’s not naive, but executing that at the highest level is tough.
What Arteta and Xavi Walked Into: The State of Arsenal and Barcelona When They Took Over
This one really matters.
Arteta joined an Arsenal side that had talent, sure, but no real direction. They were drifting. The fans were divided. He didn’t walk into a perfect setup.
But crucially, he got time and support. Even when results dipped, the club stuck by him. Slowly, he started shaping it, bringing in Ødegaard, trusting Saka and Martinelli fixing the vibe.
Xavi walked into chaos. Messi gone. Financial disaster. A club that looked like it was held together with duct tape. There was pressure from day one.
Even though they still made big signings like Lewandowski and Koundé, it was like borrowing money to buy luxury furniture when the roof’s leaking. He didn’t get a calm space to work in.
Pep once said about Barcelona’s situation: “What’s happening at Barca hurts me. I hope they recover soon because they’re a club I love.” It’s the reality Xavi had to step into.
What Arteta and Xavi Have Achieved So Far
Arteta’s got the FA Cup and Community Shield. But more than that, he’s turned Arsenal from a “maybe top four” side to actual title challengers. They’re serious now. His rebuild wasn’t flashy, it was smart.
Xavi, to be fair, won La Liga and the Supercopa. Not bad considering the mess he walked into. But Europe? That’s been the elephant in the room. Two straight Champions League group exits. Quarterfinals last year, but still a long way off the elite.
In a La Liga press conference, Xavi once said, “We are rebuilding, and it takes time. But I believe in what we are doing.”
So while Xavi might have more silverware right now, Arteta feels closer to the top level. More consistent. More ready.
The Criticism, Pressure, and Setbacks They've Faced
Arteta didn’t always have it easy. Remember those calls to sack him in 2021? Arsenal were losing games. People said he wasn’t ready. But instead of panicking, he made tough decisions by dropping big names and clearing out egos.
Xavi’s struggled in different ways. The Spanish media is brutal. Every time he opened his mouth, it felt like a new headline. And when Barça lost in Europe, people jumped on him.
His pressers got tense and his tactics were questioned. There were nights where his team looked lost. You could tell he felt the pressure.
That loss to Eintracht Frankfurt at Camp Nou in 2022 was brutal. The team looked exposed. It wasn’t just the loss it was how it happened.
Meanwhile, Arteta’s 4-1 loss to City in April 2023 was a big blow too. He said afterward, “We were not good enough. Simple as that.” He didn’t dodge it, he faced it.
What Might Happen Next for Xavi and Arteta
Arteta looks like he’s entering his peak. Arsenal are strong, and the players clearly buy into his ideas. He’s not Pep 2.0, but he’s closer than most. If they add a top striker or another world-class midfielder, they could win it all.
Xavi? He stepped down this year. Said the job drained him. But nobody thinks he’s done. He’ll be back, maybe at Barça again. He just needs time and space to breathe.
You get the sense he rushed into coaching a bit. Maybe now, he’ll come back sharper, calmer, and better prepared.
The question is, will football move on too fast? Arteta evolved. Xavi needs to show he can adapt too.
Pep once said, “If you stay the same, you fall behind. Football doesn’t wait.” That’s the challenge ahead.
How Fans and Media See Them
Arteta’s stock is high in England. Even fans who doubted him now rate him. The media, once skeptical, now call him one of the best young managers in Europe.
Xavi’s still loved by many in Barcelona as a legend. But there’s a growing section of fans and journalists asking tough questions. Is he too rigid? Too stuck in the past? Others still defend him fiercely.
In terms of innovation, Arteta’s seen as more cutting-edge. He uses data, tech, detailed match prep. Xavi’s more old-school. He trusts feel, tradition, rhythm. There’s beauty in both, but also risk.
In a post-match interview, Arteta once said, “Sometimes you can’t control everything. But what you can do is give clarity. If players are clear, they can act under pressure.”
That calm leadership style has shaped how he’s seen.
What the Fans Are Saying
Arsenal fans used to argue over Arteta. Now? You scroll through fan pages, and it’s mostly praise. “I trust this process,” “Mikel’s built something real,” that kind of vibe.
Barça fans are split. Some post nostalgic videos of Xavi the player with “he’ll come good again” captions. Others say it’s time to look forward, not backward.
That divide tells you something, both managers represent more than tactics. They’re emotional figures. Fanbases project their hopes onto them. That’s both a blessing and a burden.
On Reddit’s r/soccer, one Arsenal fan wrote after a comeback win: “We play like a team now. Arteta’s got the dressing room, and it shows.”
So, who’s ahead? Arteta for now. His work looks more complete. More future-proof.
But Xavi’s not out of the race. He’s just paused. If he comes back smarter, he can still write a great chapter.
At the end of the day, both of them are trying to walk their own version of Pep’s path. But football isn’t a straight line. It’s messy. Emotional. Unpredictable.
That’s what makes their stories worth following.
Because maybe one day, we’ll look back and realize Pep didn’t just build a team. He inspired a whole new generation of thinkers. And Arteta and Xavi are right at the heart of it.
Which manager do you think is closer to Pep’s level? Drop your thoughts below