Mikel Arteta says he “100 per cent” backs his Arsenal players’ version of the on-field row late in Sunday’s win over Liverpool which has prompted an FA investigation.
Arsenal centre-back Gabriel and Reds skipper Jordan Henderson were at the centre of a fracas involving numerous players from both sets of teams, after which referee Michael Oliver briefly paused the game to speak to Arteta and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp on the touchline. Oliver also took further observations from the players involved after full-time.
No further details have been released regarding the incident, which took place during stoppage time at the Emirates, and the FA’s investigation is ongoing.
Arteta refused to comment when asked which players had been spoken to by the authorities, saying: “It’s something I don’t want to touch. It’s in the FA’s hands and I’m not going to get involved in that.”
However, when asked whether he supported his players’ version of events, said: “100 per cent”.
Arteta was speaking ahead of Thursday night’s Europa League clash with Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, which is set to be played on an artificial pitch.
The use of a grass pitch throughout the winter in Bodo - which sits inside the Arctic Circle - would be impractical, but Jose Mourinho was heavily critical of the surface when his Roma side faced Glimt in the Europa Conference League last season and concerns have been raised over the possibility of an increased risk of injury.
Arteta, however, refused to make excuses ahead of time.
“What we are thinking is how we are going to win the game,” he said. “How we win every three days. In different conditions, in different contexts, in different weather, in different competitions. That is the only way we are approaching the game.
“A player can get injured on an artificial pitch, in a training session. We have done what he have to do to try to protect the players as much as we can, but at the end of the day tomorrow for sure we have 11 players on the pitch.”
