Mikel Arteta has urged his Arsenal players to curb their on-field taunts following their emphatic 5-1 victory over Manchester City. The heated Premier League clash on Sunday saw the Gunners secure a crucial win, keeping them in the title race alongside Liverpool.
The victory was particularly satisfying as it marked Arsenal’s first meeting with City since their dramatic 2-2 draw earlier in the season, which ended in post-match confrontations. After John Stones’ late equalizer, tensions flared between players, with Erling Haaland clashing with Gabriel and Myles Lewis-Skelly before telling Arteta to “stay humble.”
On Sunday, Arsenal players got their revenge, with Gabriel celebrating in Haaland’s face after taking the lead and Lewis-Skelly mocking the striker by mimicking his trademark celebration after scoring Arsenal’s third goal. While the win was significant, Arteta was displeased with his team’s behavior.
Arteta Calls for More Discipline
Despite being delighted with the result, Arteta made it clear he wasn’t impressed with the taunting. According to The Times, he expressed his disapproval, stating:
“There’s nothing I want to discuss about that; it’s down to the players, but they know my view. We need to focus on ourselves and leave everything else on the pitch. We’ve been in football long enough—just leave it, there’s nothing more to do.”
With City behind them, Arsenal now shifts focus to Liverpool as they aim to challenge Arne Slot’s league leaders.