Pep Guardiola has backed Arsenal and Liverpool's right to spend heavily in the transfer market, but said he believes Manchester City have been treated "completely differently" when it comes to bringing in new players.
City travel to the Emirates on Sunday to face an Arsenal team that was boosted by a transfer spend of more than £250 million ($337.75m) over the summer.
Liverpool, last season's Premier League champions, spent more than £400m in the window including splashing more than £100m each on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
City, meanwhile, spent more than £150m in the summer to go with their £180m spend in January.
Guardiola said he hopes Arteta and Arne Slot get the credit they deserve if they win the title this season and hinted that his own achievements as a manager have been diminished by a focus on how much money City have spent.
"I want to say to my friend Mikel Arteta, if he wins the title it will be just because he spent, not because he worked a lot or his players," Guardiola said. "It's like Liverpool. If Arne wins again, it will be because he spent a lot of money. Right?
"Because it's not just Man City that happened, right? So for all of them.
"Listen, for many, many years every club can do whatever he wants. You know? "I know how they've been treated is completely different, but what he [Arteta] wants to spend is because they want it and it's fine."
Guardiola has just two days to prepare his players to face Arsenal after the 2-0 win over Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday.
Arteta's team have an extra 48 hours after playing their Champions League opener against Athletic Club on Tuesday.
Asked what he had planned for Friday and Saturday before the trip to London, Guardiola joked: "They're going to go hiking in the mountains.
"We are going do that these two days. I don't know. Recovery, rest, rest, rest, and have energy for Sunday."
Guardiola faces a decision about whether to start Rodri at the Emirates.
The midfielder, still working his way back to full fitness after knee surgery, has already started against Manchester United and Napoli this week.
Guardiola revealed Rodri asked to be substituted in the second half against Napoli and complained of feeling uncomfortable during Wednesday's training session.
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Asked whether the 29-year-old is ready to start three intense games in eight days, Guardiola said: "It's a good question.
"I don't know yet. He was so smart, I know the result was not over, 1-0 is always tricky, but he does not feel good and always we try to talk please.
"We see day by day, but be ready for games. For example, the training session, he didn't feel comfortable. He did not feel good but said 'no, no, I'll be fine [to play against Napoli]' and played extraordinary, like Rodri is.
"With him on the pitch we feel more comfortable, but of course after injury you have to be alert and we will decide on Sunday how he does feel."