Mikel Arteta joined Guardiola in criticizing the schedule, which meant Arsenal had to play just 48 hours after flying back from Munich before a 2-0 win over Wolves put the side back in the Premier League Top of the list.
Arsenal remain in Germany to help recover from Wednesday’s Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich before traveling to Molineux to face Wolves who have had a week off since their last game.
Goals from Leandro Trossard and Martin Odegaard saw Arsenal recover from a losing streak and capitalize on Manchester City’s FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea, with their manager also following Attacked in a crowded schedule and climbed to the top of the table.
“It’s not about us, Pep or myself, it’s about the welfare of the players,” Arteta said. “When you play in Europe, every team has to compete in the same way. You can’t have a team that hasn’t played for seven days or three days and have more recovery time and then you have to play in the Premier League League and FA Cup.
“This is wrong. It is wrong from any angle. If you want to protect, let’s talk about the players and the protagonist first. Let us protect the players and do our best to give them the maximum time to help them recover and perform. And do the show they do every week.
Manchester City lost to Real Madrid on penalties and Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday, but Arteta admitted he had a sleepless night as he tried to refocus on Wolves and the Premier League. Championship fight.
“We lived in Munich. I think we slept for an hour or two,” he said of the unusual decision not to fly back directly that night.
“Wake up and start talking about Wolves and then talk about what the players need and how we can get into the best mental and physical condition to win this game and beat them.
“The kids are unbelievable and the staff are unbelievable. It’s a pleasure to work with them. We realize that if you want to play in big games, fight for the Champions League, fight for the Premier League and achieve what is required level, you have to do something special.
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“You have to be special and like to compete and expose yourself when you need to get the results you want. I thought the kids performed really well today.
Arsenal now face Chelsea on Tuesday and will need to overcome their own disappointment.
Gary O’Neill pointed out that the size of his squad and a spate of injuries meant he had to choose from 12 fit senior players. “It was an unbelievable performance,” the Timberwolves head coach said. “Courage, hard work, a lot of pressure, against one of the best teams in world football.”
