Following Aston Villa’s victory against the Gunners, Unai Emery declined to shake hands with the Arsenal bench.
After Saturday’s victory, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery declined to shake hands with the Arsenal bench. He has since explained his decision. The Spaniard maintains that his choice to forego approaching the Gunners staff was motivated by Mikel Arteta’s absence.
Villa defeated Arsenal at home and continued their winning streak thanks to a goal from John McGinn in the first half. Now, Emery’s team has triumphed in their previous 15 Premier League games at Villa Park.
Emery triumphed over the team that fired him after just 18 months in charge, four years prior. Villa lowered Arsenal’s chances of winning the league and raised their own expectations for this season’s miracle.
Arteta, who received his third yellow card of the season during Tuesday’s late victory against Luton, watched the game from the directors’ box. On the touchline, it was Gunners assistant Albert Stuivenberg in command.
At the final whistle, however, Emery did not go looking for the Dutchman or the rest of his staff. He refused to shake hands, saying it was because Arteta wasn’t there.
Emery responded, “No, because Arteta wasn’t on the bench,” when questioned about handshakes. I extended my hand to the employees inside because they were present during my visit, but only to the individuals I worked and coached. Nothing personal was involved. That’s because Arteta wasn’t there. I hold Arsenal and Arteta in high regard. I hold the employees there in high regard. I don’t have any bad feelings toward them.
With their victory, Villa rose to third place in the standings, two points behind champions Liverpool and just one point behind Arsenal. Emery has acknowledged the home crowd’s contribution to an amazing run.
“It was an incredible day with our incredible supporters here in Villa Park,” he declared. We have a great environment going on here, and we’re playing with 11 players in addition to our supporters. The energy of the supporters is continually being transmitted.
With thrilling victories against Manchester City and Arsenal as well as a crucial draw at Bournemouth, we wrapped up this week and the challenging games we’ve played. Sometimes, it’s crucial to have the mindset to accept a point when you can’t win.
“We are content, but we still need to maintain mental equilibrium. Yes, we are in third place in the table, but this is just game sixteen. We must make an effort to enjoy ourselves while working to raise our game and develop a stronger mentality.
