Arsenal secured a 3-1 win over Liverpool at the Emirates on Sunday to blow the Premier League title race wide open, but Richard Keys wasn’t impressed with Mikel Arteta.
Richard Keys wasn’t happy with Mikel Arteta’s antics against Liverpool
Richard Keys has criticized Mikel Arteta for his enthusiastic celebrations during Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Liverpool. The Gunners boss was seen jumping for joy on the touchline when his team took a 2-1 lead, and again when they scored their third goal.
After the match, the Arsenal players stayed on the pitch to celebrate with the fans, which included Martin Ødegaard taking pictures of the club’s photographer. However, Keys wasn’t impressed with what he saw from Arteta and voiced his disapproval on beIN SPORTS.
When former Liverpool player Jason McAteer sarcastically asked if Arsenal had just won the league, Keys replied: “Well, you see Jason, I have hesitated to this point, but now you’ve got me. Look, I understand today is worth celebrating —they’ve beaten one of the big teams and it’s critical, the title race has opened up as a result.
“But I do wish Arteta would, first of all, behave a lot better than he does. He’s returned to behaving to the way he was persistently last year before the rules were changed to check him and keep him in his dugout.
“And I just wish he would have a little more class about him when Liverpool handed him their second goal. The third one, off he goes again, you’ve had two presents given to you.”
Andy Gray interrupted to play devil’s advocate, suggesting Jürgen Klopp wouldn’t have acted differently given the importance of the result in the grand scheme of the Premier League season. But Keys replied: “I understand. I am checking my criticism, but if you stick one in the top corner to go 2-1 up, okay. But that’s a gift. Have a little bit of dignity.”
Arsenal took the lead through Bukayo Saka on Sunday before a Gabriel own goal drew the scores level. Arsenal retook the lead in the second half through Gabriel Martinelli — thanks to a mix-up between Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker — before Leandro Trossard secured the points.
According to Liverpool.com: Arteta’s celebrations on the touchline were a little over the top, although you can understand them to some degree. They would have made Liverpool getting something out of the game all the more sweeter — alas, it wasn’t to be.
Keys has been a regular critic of Arteta’s behaviour on the touchline, with his gripes sometimes crossing over into the ridiculous. He perhaps has something close to a point this time, although you suspect he made it just because of who it was.
