Writing in his Team of the Week column, Garth Crooks has been discussing Mikel Arteta and his touchline antics against Newcastle this week.
Once again, Arteta was the centre of attention after a touchline spat with an opposition manager. The Spaniard kicked off with Eddie Howe after his team were denied a penalty, and according to Crooks these ‘ridiculous’ antics cost Arsenal against the Gunners.
Indeed, the BBC pundit said that if Arteta kept a calmer head in the final stages of the game, Arsenal may have gotten a better result.
Arteta cost Arsenal
Crooks gave his view on this situation.
“Burn’s challenge on Gabriel in the box caused Mikel Arteta to blow a fuse when the penalty appeal was denied. I don’t know why – he doesn’t complain when his team are awarded the occasional disputed penalty,” Crooks wrote.
“Arteta’s hysterics on the touchline are making him look ridiculous. A cooler head from their manager in the latter stages of this encounter might have produced a better result.”
Needs to calm down
Mikel Arteta is proving that he’s a brilliant manager, but he does need to get a grip on his emotions sometimes.
The Spaniard can lose his rag at times, and as Crooks says, it’s costing his team.
At Anfield last season, Arteta’s spat with Jurgen Klopp on the touchline gave the Liverpool crowd a second wind and spurred the players on to find that extra gear, and while the game against Newcastle was at the Emirates, the same sort of logic applies here.
We understand, football is a stressful sport, but when you’re managing a team in a title race there’s no room for this kind of raw emotion.
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