"He’ll be caught out and he won’t like it" - Pundit sends warning to Mikel Arteta for antics during Arsenal's win over FC Porto
Pundit Jerome Rothen is unhappy with Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's antics on the touchline in the UEFA Champions League win over FC Porto on March 12.
The Gunners had a hard time getting past their round-of-16 Portuguese opponents. Eventually, they snuck through on penalties (4-2) after playing out a 1-1 scoreline across two legs.
During the contest, Arteta was caught in the cross-fire with opposition boss Sergio Conceicao. Pointing out the Spanish tactician's actions on the touchline, Rothen said (via The Boot Room):
"Arteta went too far. You can love yourself, see yourself as pretty, think you're the future great manager of the world, there's nothing to worry about, but he was already a bit like that when he was a player. I had the opportunity to play against him. He liked himself even though he wasn't the best player in the world."
"As a manager, you have to set an example. You can be arrogant and annoyed, but when you end up insulting your opponent... Stop! That's not possible!"
He added:
"One day, he'll be caught out and he won't like it. It almost happened yesterday. Conceicao who's a fiery person, reacted very well, whereas Arteta was out of line. I don't understand why he didn't apologise. He's going to say again and again that he didn't say anything."
According to Conceicao, Arteta insulted his family during the game.
"What Arteta says or doesn’t say… During the game he turned to the bench in Spanish and insulted my family and at the end, I told him that whoever he insulted is no longer with us. Let him worry about training his team who has a lot of quality to play more," Conceicao said (via Metro).
However, the Arsenal manager denied the claims. Upon being asked what happened between the two, Arteta said, according to club sources (via Express):
"Absolutely nothing. No comments."
Ben White signs new deal with Arsenal
Arsenal have confirmed the signing of defender Ben White on a deal that will keep him at the Emirates till 2028. The 26-year-old has become a crucial component of Mikel Arteta's setup, having made 39 appearances across competitions this season, bagging two goals and four assists.
He came to north London from Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2021 for a reported fee of £50 million. Although initially expected to play in central defense, White has looked more than comfortable in his current right-back role.
The defender has made a total of 122 appearances across competitions for Arsenal, bagging four goals and nine assists. So far, he's just won one Community Shield title with the Gunners, but could add silverware this season, with his side in the midst of a title race with Liverpool and Manchester City.