Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery didn’t shake hands after Arsenal beat Aston Villa, but neither manager had a problem with not shaking hands after the final whistle
Mikel Arteta insisted Unai Emery’s decision to walk down the tunnel without shaking his hand was “not a problem” after Arsenal beat Aston Villa at the Emirates.
Villa head to North London as the in-form Premier League side and a win would have seen them level on points with the Gunners. Instead, they scored four goals in the second half, with Ollie Watkins scoring the go-ahead goal in stoppage time to pull the team away.
Emery went down the tunnel relatively quickly, but Arteta, who replaced his compatriot at Emirates in 2019, was unfazed by the turn of events. He said, “It doesn’t matter. We all have moments like this from time to time, so it doesn’t matter to me.”
Emery insisted after the game that he would be looking for Arteta once the full-time whistle blew, but he said he had no problem with the Arsenal manager as well, although he was celebrating with his coaches and had little intention of sitting back.
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Villa said: “I was waiting for him, but he was with the coach. My routine is always to go to the opponent’s coach first, shake his hand and then go inside and go to my coach. If he hadn’t followed the same rules, I can’t wait. I don’t know what happened. I don’t have a problem, but I can’t wait. Maybe it was because it was cold? Even though we lost today, I’m still happy. Congratulations to Arsenal.”
Arsenal were able to extend their lead over their nearest challengers, Manchester City, at least temporarily. Both teams look set to compete for the title again following their mid-season encounters in 2022/23 and 2023/24 – with Josep Guardiola’s side winning in both cases.
It looks like Arsenal and Arteta may finally cross the line. That would end a league drought dating back to 2004 and a trophy drought that is about to enter its sixth year. The Gunners manager believes he is perfectly prepared to enjoy a winning year in 2026.
“It’s been a great 2025, both personally and at a professional level. It’s great that they, the club and the staff are making me enjoy my job every day. In 2026, we know what we want. We have to work hard every day for it, but I think we’re on the right track for it.”
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