‘Arteta-ball’ looks to be back in full swing after taking a slight detour following their loss against Liverpool, with the Gunners stitching together 2 successive victories in the league.
However, their 2-0 win against the Hammers last night will leave you wondering whether quick, sweeping attacks are the only thing in focus at London Colney.
Arsenal were seen exhibiting some vintage time-wasting tactics. These two instances, in particular, caught the eye of Gooners online.
Arteta sends Martinelli back on the pitch
One of them featured Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli who delivered an impressive performance, also getting on the scoresheet with a strike which reminded many of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry.
However, he caught a bit of flak from his manager when he limped off the pitch and into his technical area, seeking treatment for a cramp.
Arteta clearly wasn’t having any of it as he went to the 20-year-old, grabbed him by the arm and got him back on his feet. He then proceeded to push the player back on the pitch, bringing back memories of a similar incident involving the Spaniard and Thomas Partey.
The game was nearing its climax when Martinelli suffered a cramp and leaving the pitch in lieu of treatment meant that Arsenal defended their lead at an important juncture of the game.
Arteta might have displayed a bit of genius by urging the Brazilian back onto the pitch due to which Arsenal were able to count down some crucial minutes off the clock, as it meant that Marinelli received his treatment on the pitch rather than off it.
Considering Arsenal’s 1-goal lead at the time of the injury, Arteta’s street-smartness might have just helped ensure that his side got the crucial 3 points.
Extreme time-wasting tactics from the Arteta here 😂 shoving Martinelli back onto the pitch when he went down with cramp! ✋ pic.twitter.com/AIXV28wiOv
— Soccer AM (@SoccerAM) December 16, 2021
Ramsdale signals ballboy to stay put
Another moment of some classic time wasting came to us via Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale who opted for some elementary sh*thousery.
The English international has been involved in many relegation scraps with his former club Sheffield United, situations in which quite literally every second counts.
And it’s evident he’s picked up some methods from his stint at the Blades.
The ball went out for a goal kick and with Arsenal holding onto a slender lead, Ramsdale effectively delayed resumption of play by telling the Arsenal ballboy to simply stay rooted to his spot for a tad longer, a move which earned him some appreciation from Gooners on Reddit.
