Mikel Arteta was asked how he is dealing with accusations that Arsenal are celebrating too much after Wayne Rooney criticized Arsenal’s antics after defeating Atletico Madrid in midweek.
Mikel Arteta claims Arsenal are not paying attention to celebrating police (Image: (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images))
Mikel Arteta hit back at Arsenal’s celebration police, but insisted the title would not be confirmed even if they beat West Ham.
Former England captain Wayne Rooney was highly critical of the way Arsenal celebrated after their Champions League win over Atletico Madrid.
Rooney said on Amazon Prime: “They deserve to be in this position, but they haven’t won it yet. I think celebrating is a little too much. If they win, let’s celebrate.”
Arsenal are on a roll after reaching the Champions League final and could take a big step towards winning the title if they win against West Ham on Sunday.
No wonder Arsenal’s players toasted their success after Atlético Madrid’s victory, with fans giving them a huge standing ovation as the club reached the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years. Arteta insisted he was not aware of any backlash to the celebrations and suggested TV pundits should stick to their guns.
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Gunners manager Arteta said: “First of all, I didn’t know about it, but I don’t know. I think we need to respect all opinions and put them where they should be.”
Asked where he should put that opinion, Arteta added: “Where does it belong? I don’t know. It doesn’t matter.”
But Arteta was quick to rubbish the idea that Arsenal could clinch the title with a win against West Ham after Manchester City’s defeat at Everton on Monday night. City host Brentford at tea time on Saturday.
Arsenal reach the Champions League final for the first time in 20 years (Image: Matt Impey/Shutterstock)
Arteta added: “I don’t know where that theory comes from. If it’s not enough again, we need to be there, we need to be better than the opponent and win the game. If we can do that, we can get even closer, that’s for sure.”
Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has claimed Arteta’s side will be “unforgettable”, comparable to the 2004 Invincibles who won the title after an unbeaten season.
But Arteta added: “Again, that would be great, but it’s a ‘what if’ and there’s still a lot of work to do.”
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