TV presenter Richard Keys has taken aim at Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for the way he celebrated the Gunners’ win over Liverpool on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta did not suppress his joy as Arsenal secured a 3-1 triumph over Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium yesterday.
The Spanish coach will have recognised better than anyone the importance of this result. His side are now back in the heat of the title race, just two points behind the Reds who currently sit at the top of the table.
Defeat against Jurgen Klopp’s side would have seen the north London club cast eight points adrift and all but out of the title race. As it played out on the day, though, Arsenal were worthy winners.
Arteta was clearly, and rightfully, proud of his side’s performance as they dominated the majority of the match. Arsenal were particularly impressive in the middle of the park. Declan Rice was once again a titanic figure in that part of the pitch. However, Jorginho stole many of the headlines, as having been afforded rare Premier League start, the veteran produced a player of the match performance.
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal celebrations in the spotlight again
The Arsenal players revelled in their victory after the final whistle. Whilst they will all maintain that their exuberant celebrations were justified, there are those who felt that the Gunners went over the top. Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher was particularly unimpressed by the antics of Arsenal club captain Martin Odegaard, for instance.
Meanwhile, Richard Keys, speaking on beIN Sports, was uncompromising in his view of Arteta’s behaviour. The Spanish coach celebrated wildly both when Leandro Trossard scored Arsenal’s third goal late on and again after the final whistle went.
Keys said, “I understand today is worth celebrating – they’ve beaten one of the big teams and it’s critical, the title race has opened up as a result. But I do wish Arteta would, first of all, behave a lot better than he does…I just wish he would have a little more class about him…Have a little bit of dignity.”
This is not the first time Arsenal have come under fire for the scale of their celebrations this season.
However, from this writer’s perspective, it is a nonsensical thing to take issue with. Football is an emotive game, that’s why fans love it. That’s why supporters spend their hard earned cash, following their team across the length and breadth of the country, so that they can be there to enjoy moments of triumph such as this. Players and managers should also be allowed to enjoy the successes that they work so hard to achieve.
Of course, Arsenal did not with the league title yesterday. There is still a long way to go in that particular race. However, if ecstatic celebrations were solely preserved for silverware-winning moments, very few football fans, players, or managers would ever have anything to shout about.
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