"He can cook" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta admits he's visited Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's house for dinner

Pep Guardiola had given his vote of confidence to Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta at the start of the campaign, despite the Gunners losing their first three Premier League games.

Now, they sit in pole position to claim the coveted fourth spot in the league and Arteta's tactics and philosophy have really started to come to the fore.

The two Spaniards have always shown mutual admiration for each other. The Arsenal manager was recently quizzed by Sky Sports about his relationship with his Manchester City counterpart. Although he kept his answers short and crisp, he did reveal some interesting facts.

When asked whether he had visited Pep Guardiola for dinner, Arteta replied,

"I have".

But he gave no clue whatsoever about whether this meeting had taken place after he was appointed by the north London club or when he was still at the Etihad. The 39-year old brought the City boss' cooking skills to light and delivered a positive verdict on them when asked whether he is a good cook. He also shared Guardiola's signature dishes, albeit leaving a bit of suspense about it.

"Very good. He can cook. Rice and really good starters."

The Arsenal manager was also kind enough to let in on his own skills in the kitchen and also talked about his favorite cooking activity.

"I have a few I can cook. The thing that relaxes me more is when I cook in a barbeque. So the whole process of building the fire and doing that and taking time and different meats and serving to people and having people around the barbeque and chatting is what I enjoy most."

In fact, he had hosted one such event two days prior to this interview. Surely, when the team gets to know about their manager's interest in cooking, they would love to be around when he is barbequing.

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Arsenal are firm favorites to claim fourth spot in the Premier League

All the good work Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff have been doing behind the scenes at the club is finally starting to bear fruit on the field. In their last eight English top-flight matches, the Gunners have won six, drawing and losing one each. Their performances reflect the unity amongst the players and how much they care for the honor of the club.

Arsenal's away form has also been one of the biggest positives for the fanbase who have rallied behind the team on numerous occasions this year. The north London club completed a personal milestone under Arteta as they are currently on a winning run in 5 away games.

The last time Arsenal managed this feat was under Arsene Wenger back in 2015. The Gunners are currently fourth in the table with a tally of 54 points from 28 games. They are in a four-way contest for the fourth spot with Manchester United, West Ham and local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

Arteta and Co. will face all three of those teams in the Premier League and the results of those fixtures will directly impact their quest for Champions League football.