Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal continued their march towards Premier League glory by picking up all 3 points in a crucial match against Manchester United.
Contested at the Emirates, the game itself was typically frantic and end-to-end, as both sides found joy in their attacking play, culminating in a 5-goal thriller.
United talisman Marcus Rashford opened the scoring through a stunning run and powerful finish, making it 9 goals in 9 games for the English International.
The home side found the equalizer through in-form striker Eddie Nketiah, before leaping ahead, courtesy of a sensational solo effort from Bukayo Saka.
Lisandro Martinez then levelled the game for United, setting up what looked to be a certain draw.
However, a late twist followed, as Nketiah stroked home the winner from close range and the roof came off the Emirates.
It was yet another 5-star performance from the Gunners, and their manager on the touchline was similarly in top form.
Aside from setting up his side for victory, Arteta paraded the touchline with his trademark blend of unhinged authority.
The 40-year-old took every opportunity to scream instructions at his players and coupled them with some very emphatic gesturing.
His antics on the night were imbued with passion, although he was guilty of being too overzealous at times.
Arteta’s animated actions eventually led to a yellow card from the referee, issued on account of his dramatic reaction to a foul by United’s Luke Shaw.
The Spaniard’s remonstrations have become a common feature throughout the season, and he has already received yellow cards for them before the game against United.
This even became a topic of discussion during Arteta’s post-match interview, as he was whether his reaction was a bit too intense and if he felt the yellow card to be unjust.
In response, the former Everton midfielder calmly shook his head and said ‘I don’t think so’. He then set the Londoner inside loose, and added ‘You can always get better in life innit.’
Spoken like a true Brit, Mikel.
Having spent 3 years at the helm of Arsenal, Arteta is clearly well acquainted with London slang, and his usage was top-notch as well. The Spaniard started grinning through his teeth mid-sentence and after dropping the ‘innit’, it really seemed as if he was doing his best to avoid a fit of laughter.
For those uninitiated, ‘innit’ is London slang for ‘isn’t it’, and it is typically used after a vague and abstract sentence, much like Arteta’s.
By dropping the slang in a post-match interview, Arteta has proven that he is a Londoner through and through.
