Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has scoffed at those complaining about the touchline behaviour of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

City meet the Gunners tonight in the FA Cup.

Guardiola - no stranger to a touchline fracas himself - backed the Arsenal boss, while suggesting that friendship does not preclude the two of them reaching a flashpoint in the future.

"Absolutely," Guardiola said when asked if jealousy was a factor in criticism. "When you are top of the league they have to undermine you for another reason. And they are doing that right now. I know this situation quite well.

"He wants to beat me and I want to beat him. I know how we both are and in defeat we are not the best friends in the world.

"From my point of view I have a huge respect for him as a person, as a manager. That's not going to change if we're going to fight on the touchline.

"Sooner or later it's going to happen I guess but when that is going to happen it's not going to change the respect I have for him."