LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) –Gary Neville didn’t hold back in his critique of Mikel Arteta’s touchline conduct during Arsenal’s recent 2-2 showdown with Tottenham.
In the North London derby, the Gunners took the lead twice, courtesy of a Christian Romero own goal and a Bukayo Saka penalty.
However, they were unable to maintain their advantage as Son Heung-Min swiftly equalized on both occasions, with Son’s second goal arriving less than two minutes after Saka’s.
The former Manchester United legend opined that Arsenal lacked “composure” against a well-organized Spurs team and specifically pointed out Arteta’s overly animated touchline presence.
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“I’m looking for composure from this Arsenal team, but it’s challenging when the manager is on the sideline bouncing around energetically,” Neville remarked on his Gary Neville podcast.
“I want to witness passion, but I also want to see composure and a cool head, even though it might seem contradictory. I want to see these qualities at the appropriate moments.”
Neville believes that the blame doesn’t rest solely on Arteta’s shoulders; senior players should also take responsibility for failing to instill the right mindset after Saka put Arsenal ahead 2-1.
“There should have been two or three experienced players in the squad saying, ‘Alright, let’s focus now.
“We’re prepared, and we’ll see this through.’ It’s about recognizing when a game is at risk,” he commented.
“With Rice off at halftime, there was a potential threat. So, should Jorginho have been left as almost the last line of defense for Son’s second equalizer?
Perhaps, perhaps not. He certainly could have done better, but when you concede a goal just a minute after scoring one, that’s what I’m talking about—having the right mindset to regain control.”
Arteta will be eager to guide his team back to victory as they face Brentford in the EFL Cup third round fixture next Wednesday evening.