Mikel Arteta has been enjoying his life at Arsenal.
The Gunners are currently on top of the Premier League and the Champions League tables, and they have made it into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup as well.
Arsenal are the favourites to win all three competitions, and they will be one of the contenders to lift the FA Cup too once their campaign begins later in January.
Most recently, Arsenal thrashed Aston Villa 4-1. Arteta was a happy man after the game, but former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett was not.
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Keith Hackett says Mikel Arteta should’ve been punished during Arsenal vs Aston Villa
Almost every move Mikel Arteta makes – on and off the pitch – is heavily scrutinised.
The Arsenal manager has come under criticism for a lot of things over the years, but nothing is said about other coaches when they try to do the same thing.
We’re sure Arteta doesn’t care what’s being said about him, but people still do it, and ex-PGMOL boss Hackett is the latest one to have his say.
Speaking after Arsenal’s brilliant 4-1 win against Aston Villa, Hackett pointed out how Arteta was outside his technical area at times, which is an ‘offence’.
He told Aston Villa News: “I fully appreciate the passion of managers and, at times, the frustration they face when players are failing to act on their instructions.
“The technical area is specifically defined in law that the edge of the area must be at a minimum of one metre from the touchline. Arteta, like many managers, fails to comply with the law and remain inside the designated area whilst the game is in progress.
“A word from the fourth official should be sufficient to stop this transgression in law.
“If, after receiving the warning from the fourth official, he repeats the offence, the referee should be brought over to issue a yellow card to any manager committing this offence.“
Be honest, what would be your first reaction if Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta got punished for stepping outside his technical area?
Why Mikel Arteta should not be punished
This isn’t the first time someone has taken issue with Arteta’s antics on the touchline, and we are sure many more will have their say in the future as well.
The Arsenal manager is just extremely passionate and plays the game along with his players. He wants to transmit energy from the sidelines to bring out the best in those on the pitch.
Yes, Arteta gets out of his technical area, but he never gets in the way of the opposition. As long as he’s not physically affecting the game, he is doing no harm.
In the game against Aston Villa, Unai Emery spent time outside his technical area too, but it’s funny how nobody has said a word about it.
Many other managers do the same as well, but none of them deserve to be punished for this.
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