Pep Guardiola said he understands what Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is feeling as the Manchester City boss leapt to the defence of his Premier League counterpart.

Pressure is mounting on long-serving Arsenal boss Wenger, who oversaw Sunday's 3-0 loss to City in the EFL Cup final, with the club already seventh and 27 points adrift in the Premier League.

Wenger's contract expires at the end of next season but there are reports he could leave following the 2017-18 campaign, with Germany boss Joachim Low and Monaco head coach Leonardo Jardim among the candidates.

As Arsenal prepare to face Premier League champions-elect City again on Thursday, Guardiola offered his support to the 68-year-old Frenchman, who has been in charge since 1996.

"I always support my colleagues," Guardiola said. "I don't understand when other managers criticise the other managers because we feel the same, when we win, when we lose, we accept the opinions of the fans and the people and you feel alone.

"Believe me, you feel alone because there's a lot of pressure on your shoulders. I understand completely.

"I'd like to tell him that I am close, I am on the same side as him. I understand what he feels because I have had it before.

"That's why I don't understand when other managers criticise, maybe people believe I've said something wrong, it's tough for me to understand when you use this tribune to criticise colleagues.

"It's tough to send a message to the other ones from here because everyone understands how you feel when you lose. What happened can happen to me in the future. We won -- I'm good, Arsene Wenger didn't win so he's not good."