Rio Ferdinand raises question about Mikel Arteta as Arsenal draw with Brighton
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand took a shot at Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after the Gunners' 1-1 home draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday. The Gunners finished with 10 men, with Declan Rice getting sent off.
Quoting a clip from the game, the United veteran pointed out via his X that Arteta was outside his technical area, implying a penalty for the Gunners manager.
"What's Arteta doing outside his technical area?"
The tweet came after Arteta had slammed the referee for Rice's controversial red card in the second half. The midfielder was given marching orders in the 49th minute for allegedly delaying the game. The referee blew whistle when Rice flicked the ball that Joel Veltman had placed for taking a free-kick.
The Brighton defender looked to take a quick free kick but ended up smacking Rice with his leg. When the stadium expected Veltman to be sent off, referee Chris Kavanagh dished out a second to Rice. The Englishman, already booked for a challenge on Veltman in the first half, was asked to leave the pitch.
In the post-match press conference, Arteta criticised the referee for not booking Brighton players for similar offences. He also said that Veltman should've been sent off in that red-card incident.
"I was amazed. Amazed, amazed, amazed because of how inconsistent decisions can be.
"In the first half, there are two incidents and nothing happens. Then, in a non-critical area, the ball hits Declan (on the back of his leg). He turns around. He doesn't see the player coming, and he touches the ball."
Arteta continued:
"By law, he (the referee) can make that call, but then, by law, he needs to make the next call, which is red card, so we play 10 vs 10. This is what amazed me. At this level, it's amazing."
Nine minutes after the red card, Joao Pedro scored the equaliser for Brighton as both sides dropped points for the first time this season.
Rio Ferdinand once claimed that Mikel Arteta would leave Arsenal for Manchester United
Rio Ferdinand once made a bizarre claim that Mikel Arteta would leave the Gunners to join Manchester United if the Red Devils decided to get rid of Erik ten Hag.
Manchester United have struggled under Ten Hag, especially last season, finishing eighth, their worst Premier League finish, while Arteta has elevated the Gunners to make them title contenders over the last few seasons.
On his YouTube channel FIVE in February this year, Ferdinand said that the Spaniard would leave Arsenal in a giffy if Manchester United sack Ten Hag and offer him a contract.
“Arteta would leave Arsenal to come to Man United, 100 per cent. No-one is saying it’s happening, but if Man United, in their wildest dreams, said ‘do you know what, Erik ten Hag, thank you’, or Erik ten Hag has been poached by Bayern Munich and he goes there, and Man United say ‘right, top of our list, Mikel Arteta’.
"Arteta is going in (to Arsenal) and saying ‘listen lads, it’s been emotional, but I’ve got to move and got to go’,” said the Englishman (via India Today)..
Arsenal are third in the Premier League, behind Manchester City and Brighton. Arteta's men next face Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 15.