Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta believes it's "not fair" that his players were slammed for a video posted on social media in which none of them interacted with a young mascot. It came during the clash against West Ham at the London Stadium, where the official account posted the clip.
The youngster in the clip was holding an Arsenal shirt for the squad to sign as they went into the changing rooms, with most having their headphones in, signing it and then moving on. It was the lack of discussion that caught many by surprise on social media and left many outraged.
The father of the mascot took to social media later to clear things up, with other clips showing that there was other opportunities to interact. @muzzygoona said on Twitter: "My daughter had a lovely time as Mascot for @Arsenal. There was only a small window to meet the players and she enjoyed it very much. Odegaard is her favourite player so to hold his hand onto the pitch was very special."
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Heading into the Southampton clash, Arteta was asked for his opinion on the situation, backing his players during the situation. He told reporters: "Two things. First of all it comes from Arsenal TV and when you speak about connection and what we have built with our supporters, it’s for what we do every single day.
"You speak to the parents and the day they had and they had the most amazing day. So you’ve just seen a fragment of a picture – what happened before that and afterwards, nobody saw and I think it’s not fair." That was followed up with a question on the players' perception from the video, to which he added: "I don’t think they’re perceived like that. At all."
It should clear up and put an end to a saga that was likely preventable, given how much has come out since, despite the outrage from it all.
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