Unai Emery has come under fire for neglecting to shake Mikel Arteta’s hand following Arsenal’s 4-1 thrashing of Aston Villa.
In a decisive victory at the Emirates on Tuesday night, the Gunners scored four goals in the second half, which ultimately dealt a crushing blow to a Villa team that were being discussed as a potential contender for the Premier League crown.
After the final whistle, Arteta, who took over as manager of Arsenal from Emery in December 2019, was obviously thrilled and celebrated right away with his coaching staff on the touchline.
However, this did not sit well with the Villa manager, who seemed to give his counterpart a displeased look before heading straight down the tunnel.
See Also: Real Madrid And Brazil Legend Hospitalised With Heart Surgery ‘Complications’
Emery had already vanished by the time Arteta had left his team’s embrace, and the Arsenal manager was clearly perplexed as he looked for his compatriot.
Emery Defends Himself
But after the game, Emery vehemently defended his choice, claiming that it was “cold” and he could not wait for Arteta to wrap up his celebration.
“It is simple,’ the Villa boss said in his post-match press conference as quoted by the Daily Mail.
“You can watch. After I finish the match, my routine is always quick, I shake hands, and I go with my coaches, with my players to the dressing room.
“I was waiting, I was waiting. He was happy, of course he was happy. He was with his coaches. And I decided to go inside. But for me it is no problem.”
Emery also told Sky Sports: “Always my routine is go to the opposition coach, shake hands and go inside. If he is not doing the same rule, I can’t wait… it was cold.”
COMMENTS