Kyle Walker has finally broken his silence on the Manchester City defender’s touchline spat with Arsenal coach Nicholas Jover after losing 1-0 before the international break.
A sole goal from Gabriel Martinelli in the 86th minute sealed the Gunners their first Premier League win over the Citizens since 2015. It also moved Arsenal above Manchester City in the table. But emotions rose when Walker met Jover as the 33-year-old headed into the tunnel.
Walker reacted furiously to Jover offering a handshake in commiseration and confronted the 41-year-old coach. Erling Haaland ran in to support his teammate, too, sparking staff to rush in to diffuse the situation. Man City’s players also, ultimately, herded Walker into the tunnel.
Walker breaks his silence on the Man City star’s spat with Arsenal coach Jover
Tempers arose from seemingly little as Jover stood ready to great Manchester City’s team as they exited the pitch. But Walker has now opened up on the clash, noting how he had held a grudge from Jover refusing to shake his hand after a prior Manchester City win over Arsenal.
“I don’t like losing,” Walker detailed, via the Express. “A couple of matches before, Nico, who worked for Man City, and he did not want to shake hands when we beat them before. When we lost, he wanted to shake my hand and I did not take it lightly. Simple as that.
“I haven’t been in touch but I have been concentrating on England. But I will probably reach out to him, definitely. I will say, it was probably a bit too much.
“It shows the standards I have achieved and what I have learnt over the years. It is a big match there and losing in the way we did and so late on hurts. But if it did not hurt I am probably at the wrong club as we are title contenders.”
Walker retained a grudge after City won home and away last season
Jover left Manchester City to join Arsenal’s coaching staff with manager Mikel Arteta in July 2021. He had worked at the Citizens under Pep Guardiola since July 2019 and initially stayed after Arteta replaced Unai Emery in north London. The teams have played seven times since.
Arsenal have won two of those seven meetings across all competitions having also taken the Community Shield back in August. Walker featured at Wembley and in all but one of the two team’s meetings since July 2021. But his angst grew after winning home and away last term.
Reports by the Manchester Evening News after the clash claimed that Walker held in-feeling to Jover as the Arsenal coach snubbed the Manchester City star’s handshake. So, to see the coach offering one at Emirates Stadium drew a reaction Walker now admits was ‘too much’.
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