Arteta Brushes Off Yellow Card Controversy: ‘Just Waving at Martinelli!’

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has played down his recent booking, receiving his fourth caution of the season for dissent during Sunday’s 2-0 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Gunners’ boss expressed displeasure at a challenge on Bukayo Saka by Kaoru Mitoma and, without concealing his frustration, earned himself another yellow card.

Having already served a suspension for accumulating three bookings and facing criticism for his interactions with referees this season, Arteta humorously brushed off his latest incident, saying, “I was waving to [Gabriel] Martinelli!” He made the comment in a jesting manner before quickly leaving the interview set.

After Arsenal’s contentious loss to Newcastle United, Mikel Arteta faced significant backlash for his remarks about refereeing standards.

Despite being cleared of any misconduct charges related to the incident, Arteta’s conduct did not impress Martin Cassidy, the chief of Ref Support UK. Arsenal issued a statement in support of their manager, a move that stirred further debate and divided opinions.

“[Arsenal] would have more credibility if they addressed and made a public statement about the unacceptable behaviour of their players or manager,” he said.

“Mikel Arteta’s touchline behaviour is the worst in the Premier League and his behaviour is a large part of the problem in football. He has become a Mercedes version of Neil Warnock.

“His behaviour and comments, that now appear to be supported by Arsenal as a club, is very worrying for me and the game in general. This statement [by Arsenal], in my opinion, is nothing other than an infantile moan.”

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