Query using string from custom field as array value

Firstly, what I am trying to do is display posts from Category x on posts from Category y where text from a custom field on post from Cat y matches text from one of 2 custom fields on cat x.

I have a custom text field on each post from cat x and y to store a list of attributes. e.g. red,car,sports,alloys.

I then want to check to see if they match up between posts and pull in the post where they do.

Firstly, is there a much better way of doing this?

I am currently trying WP_Query. My query is like this:

$args = array(
	'meta_query' => array(
		'relation' => 'OR',
		array(
			'key'     => 'style_atrributes',
			'value'   =>  array('main_atrributes'),
			'compare' => 'LIKE'
		),
		array(
			'key'     => 'car_atributes',
			'value'   => array('main_atrributes'),
			'compare' => 'LIKE'
		),
	),
);

I have placed this in the post template for category y. As above it just displays all posts from cat x. If I tweak it and change the array to (‘red’, ‘car’) it works and pulls in the correct posts.

Is it possible to use text as part of an array? I have tried storing the text as “red”, “car” and that didnt work either. If I print the field out it displays as above.

Anyone point me in the right direction?