Journalist Fabrizio Romano has now spoken out in defence of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.
Mikel Arteta will not be on the sidelines when Arsenal take on Aston Villa this weekend due to a suspension.
The Arsenal manager picked up a booking at the end of the Gunners’ recent clash with Luton Town for the extravagance of his celebrations after Declan Rice’s late winner extended the club’s lead at the top of the Premier League table.
The yellow card was the Spanish coach’s third of the season so far, earning him a touchline ban.
This is not the first time that Arteta’s antics have landed him in hot water. He has drawn plenty of criticism for his behaviour in the dugout before, where he is an energetic and exuberant presence, barking orders and gesticulating wildly throughout games.
However, this booking feels especially harsh. Nothing that Arteta did at Kenilworth Road, based on footage available to the public, appears particularly egregious. The likes of Roberto De Zerbi and Jurgen Klopp have both celebrated on the pitch without consequence. Equally, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland recently escaped any sanctions after screaming in a referee’s face during a match.
Fabrizio Romano also feels that the manager has been harshly treated. As quoted by CaughtOffside, he said, “Arteta didn’t cross any line at Luton in my opinion. I’m always for celebration to be free, not being punished when you score in the 97th minute.”
Mikel Arteta ban cannot distract Arsenal from tough task ahead
Arteta can use this controversial decision to motivate his squad. An ‘us against the world’ mentality can be a useful thing to foster in a dressing room environment. If Arsenal as a club, and a squad, feel as though they are being targeted and the rest of the football community is against them, then they will be fired up by that.
Full focus now, though, needs to be on getting three points at Villa Park on Saturday. The Gunners cannot afford to be distracted by any issues surrounding the manager. Unai Emery’s side are in blistering form, especially at home, and will be on a high having deservedly beaten reigning champions Manchester City last time out.
Arsenal will have to be at their very best to get a win against the Midlands outfit, and will certainly need to defend far better than they did against Luton Town. If they can get all three points though then they will put themselves in an excellent position in the context of the title race.
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