Arteta responds for the first time to Manchester City's decision to be ruled against him, stating that he has a clear conscience.

An independent commission recently found Manchester City guilty of violating Premier League rules and concealing a large sum of money, and City has formally appealed the decision. At his first press conference following the verdict, current Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta broke his silence and publicly addressed related questions for the first time.

Arteta served as Manchester City's assistant coach from 2016 to 2019, a period that overlaps with the nine seasons alleged in the charges. During the half-hour press conference, Arteta remained largely restrained, avoiding direct commentary on the details of the case.

However, when a reporter pointedly asked Arteta whether he had a clear conscience after three and a half years in a key position at Manchester City, Arteta gave a straightforward affirmative answer: "Yes."

In response to the independent commission's report accusing Manchester City of concealing revenue through fraudulent contracts, Arteta said in an interview: "I completely understand the question, but obviously it is very important to respect the process and the timeline."

"Since the club has filed an appeal, this is still an ongoing process that has not yet been resolved. I stand with the club and will not comment further until the matter is fully resolved."

Regarding whether the appeals and penalties should be settled within this season to maintain the credibility of the Premier League, Arteta added: "There are professionals in charge of coordinating this process and reaching the right conclusions. I believe things will be resolved properly in the right way, and we must maintain our trust."

When asked if he had recently spoken with Guardiola, Arteta politely declined to comment, reiterating his belief that the Premier League remains the best league in the world. Arsenal are currently only three points behind league leaders Manchester City, and they will host Leeds United.

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