Mikel Arteta insists he will continue to show passion on the touchline, despite his celebration for Tuesday’s late winner against Luton landing him with a ban this weekend.
Arteta was shown his third yellow card of the season for his celebration to Declan Rice’s goal at Kenilworth Road and that has led to an automatic touchline ban for Saturday’s game at Aston Villa.
The Arsenal boss on Friday said he accepts the booking, but added that he does not want to stop celebrating emotional moments like Tuesday’s dramatic win.
Arteta also appeared to suggest that he wanted to make sure other managers were treated in the same way if they were deemed to be excessively celebrating.
Asked if he wanted to stop celebrating, Arteta said: “If I was given the opportunity, no.
“I would like to be with my players because we work closely every single day to achieve what we want which is to win the games and when you get those moments in sport you should be able to do that.
“I understand as well that there are certain boundaries and you have to respect that you are at an away ground, but if I was given the chance I would be there jumping.
“After that [goal against Luton], I straight away sat on my seat and stayed there for thirty seconds but that was after the emotion. In the moment I think it is very difficult to demand that.
“We are [allowed to celebrate] but I think we have a boundary. Maybe we have to extend it. We just need a very strong rope, or we don’t move! But it means we don’t move - all of us.
“I don’t know how to stop [celebrating]. It was a really emotional moment with everybody bouncing around and you lose sense of where you are and the space you have to be in.
“It was unfortunate as now I cannot be next to my team on the touchline but it is a decision that they make looking strictly at the rules. Yes, we cannot do that but the ‘we’ is different in the context and it is important to look at the ‘we’ in that context.”
Arteta is already in hot water with the FA and is waiting to learn the fate of his charge following his comments after Arsenal lost at Newcastle last month.
The Spaniard took aim at the standard of refereeing for Anthony Gordon’s winner and he had his hearing on Thursday. Arteta could face a fine or touchline ban for his post-match comments.
Arteta will be in the directors’ box at Villa Park and joked on Friday morning he hopes it may even benefit his side.
“They will play better and they will be more positive, and I can influence with my positive mind towards them,” he said.
Arsenal are currently two points clear at the top of the Premier League, but Villa are third and four points off them. Unai Emery’s side have also won 14 League games in a row, last losing in February when they hosted Arsenal.
They have no fresh injury concerns, but are short on options in defence as Takehiro Tomiyasu could be out for six weeks.
Thomas Partey would have been an option to fill in there, but Arteta said it will be “incredibly fast” if he is back for Christmas.
