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Arsene Wenger says Pep Guardiola could face a Premier League shock

Arsene Wenger, Pep Guardiola, Barcelona v Arsenal, Champions League, March 2011
Image: Arsene Wenger has warned Pep Guardiola about the competitiveness of the Premier League

Arsene Wenger says the competitive nature of the Premier League will come as a shock to incoming Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.

It was announced on Deadline Day that former Barcelona boss Guardiola will be taking over from Manuel Pellegrini in the summer after three years at Bayern Munich, but Wenger believes his impressive record in Germany and Spain will not guarantee immediate success in England.

"If you look at the tendency in the Premier League, it looks difficult to have a high percentage of winning games," he said. "The Premier League is now maybe more difficult to be consistent than any other league."

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And asked if Guardiola would have been a good Arsenal manager, he replied: "I will not choose my successor here. I just want to leave the club in a position where it can do better when I am gone."

Danny Welbeck, meanwhile, will not make an immediate first team return even though he played an hour of an U21 game on Friday after more than nine months out with a knee injury.

The Gunners boss said. "He needs to play two or three games before coming back to the first team. He has been out for 10 months.

"In the next three weeks he should be available."

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Welbeck will be out until Christmas after having surgery on a knee injury suffered against Chelsea in April
Image: Danny Welbeck hopes to be back soon after being injured against Chelsea in April last year

On Arsenal's current form, Wenger added: "We have to look at the facts. We haven't won for four games. We want to come back to winning. We shouldn't be alarmed. The quality of our performances were there."

The 66-year-old Frenchman said there are still more than the top four teams left in the title race, and is keen to protect Arsenal's record of never finishing lower than rivals Tottenham in the Premier League era.

"I've not really looked at the table because there are so many [teams still in with a chance] - five, six? It makes it interesting, even if we would love it to be less interesting," he joked.

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Wenger discusses Tomas Rosicky's latest injury and Manchester United's title chances

He included fifth-placed Manchester United, who are 10 points behind leaders Leicester, and said West Ham, a point further adrift, are also still in with a mathematical chance of being champions. 

The former manager of Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan did warn European football about China's sudden emergence as a player-buying power, with Alex Teixeira, Ramires and Jackson Martinez all moving to the Far East.

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"China looks to have the financial power to move the whole European league to China. We know it is a consequence of economic power. Will they sustain their interest?" he said.

"I don't know how deep the desire is. If the political desire is there we should worry."

Arsenal have no fresh injury concerns ahead of their Premier League trip to Bournemouth on Sunday, with Santi Cazorla (knee) and Jack Wilshere (leg) still missing.

Per Mertesacker will be hopeful of a recall having been on the bench for Tuesday's goalless draw with Southampton, .

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