Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, has spoken out in defence of his team’s celebrations during their recent 3-2 comeback win against Bournemouth.
After recovering from a two-goal deficit, Arsenal players and staff celebrated Reiss Nelson’s 97th-minute winner with fervent scenes on the pitch.
The Football Association investigated the celebrations after referee Chris Kavanagh mentioned them in his report, but no further action was taken.
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Despite some pundits, including Gary Neville, questioning Arsenal’s celebrations this season, Arteta has no intention of telling his players to rein it in. He firmly believes that if you win in football, you celebrate, and that there is nothing better than the passion and emotion that comes with scoring goals and winning football matches.
Arteta even had a tongue-in-cheek response to those who were critical of the celebrations, saying, “If not, you go to church. For sure, I won’t be telling the players not to celebrate on Sunday.”
Currently, Arsenal is sitting at the top of the Premier League, with a two-point lead over Manchester City. They will face London rivals Fulham on Sunday, hoping to extend their winning streak to five in a row in the league.
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The return of striker Gabriel Jesus could also provide a boost for Arteta’s side, as the Brazilian has not played since before the World Cup break.
However, Arteta has cautioned that Jesus will only feature if he feels confident and ready to go. “He really needs to feel confident and ready to go. He has a big say in that,” he said.
Arteta’s focus on his players’ emotional displays on the pitch reflects his approach to the game as a whole. He believes that passion and emotion are integral to football, and that his players should express themselves on the pitch.
This philosophy has been key to Arsenal’s recent success, and has helped the team build momentum in the Premier League.
