Mikel Arteta has denied he came close to joining Mauricio Pochettinos staff at Tottenham, even though the Arsenal bo s considers the Argentiniana football father.The Spaniard is preparing to Jason Pominville Jersey face Spurs on Thursday evening in a north London derby which could confirm a return to the Champions League next season for the Gunners.It would cement an impre sive turnaround under Arteta following a tough 2020-21 campaign that saw the club mi s out on European football entirely.Arteta is looking to burnish the reputation he has at Emirates Stadium, where he spent the end of his playing daysbefore joining Pep Guardiola on the Manchester City coaching staff.He was asked about having once been tipped to cro s the divide and join rivals Spurs, when they were led by current Paris Saint-Germain bo s Pochettino.That was a reported po sibility Devan Dubnyk Jersey in 2016, but the Gunners bo s has poured cold water on the suggestion it could have happened, albeit reinforcing the point Chris Stewart Jersey that he shares a close bond with the former Tottenham manager.No, Arteta saidwhen asked if there was truth to the rumours.My relationship with Mauricio comes from when I was 18years old.As a teenager, Arteta went on loan from Barcelona to PSG, and Pochettino was a team-mate.I have always said, for me, he was like a football father, Arteta said. I have an extraordinary relationship with him. But unfortunately, he was a coach at Spurs, and I was here at the time. That relationship hasnt changed, but that isnt the case. Arteta touched on the relationship between his team and their fans following this seasons resurgence,saying he hopes a derby victory will strengthen their Matt Dumba Jersey bond.The players want to show them gratitude for the way they have performed with the team Mikael Granlund Jersey , he added. That would be the answer to say thank you.Were in this together, and now the journey is going to change us, and I think we are going to be more excited about the future.Arsenal can secureChampions League football with victory over Spurs, while a failure to win for Tottenham would also a sure Chelsea ofa top-four finish.