Mike Arteta has defended the way his side celebrated following their 3-1 win over Liverpool in last weekend’s top of the table clash at the Emirates.
Arteta’s sprint down the touchline when Leandro Trossard put the game beyond doubt and Martin Odegaard taking pictures with Arsenal’s club cameraman Stuart MacFarlane caused a stir among opposition fans who felt it was over the top.
Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher also criticised Odegaard, telling him to “get down the tunnel” following his side’s victory.
And the Arsenal boss defended the way he and his players expressed their emotion at the full-time whistle and said plenty of other managers have done the same down the years.
“No, because they told me today so I didn’t know anything about it,” Arteta responded when asked if he was aware of the criticism.
“But I love it. I’ve seen managers at the Emirates and away on their knees inside the pitch. I’ve seen very big managers going across the touchline in the Premier League.
“Personally, I love it because it brings such a passion and emotion to the game when it’s done in a natural and unique way. I think it’s great but it’s my opinion and other people may think something different.
When asked about Martin Odegaard taking photos of the club’s cameraman, Arteta replied: “That’s something that happens because they have a relationship that comes from what they do every day here at the training ground.
“People are entitled to have their opinions when you do something publicly. Some of them will be positive, some of them not so positive. Our job is to accept all of that and then behave the way you think is the right way to behave and make sure we don’t lose that.
“Last year we went through a lot of games with managers and teams celebrating a lot. It’s so tough to win in this league. For sure it was a big match for us and you could tell how much it meant from the (first) whistle. The stadium and the atmosphere was very different already. It was a great day.”
