As well as three potentially precious points, Arsenal’s dramatic win at Luton Town on Tuesday had at least one less positive consequence for the Premier League title contenders.
An incident involving boss Mikel Arteta means the Gunners’ head coach will not be on the touchline when his players visit Aston Villa in their next top-flight match on Saturday.
Arteta’s absence could make Arsenal’s challenge even tougher against opponents who have proven their credentials to trouble the established ‘big six’ this season.
It will also mean Arteta misses out on being in the opposite technical area to his predecessor, fellow Spaniard Unai Emery.
Why won’t Arteta be in his usual position for the game at Villa Park? When will he be back in the dugout, and what has he said about the situation? Here’s what you need to know.
Where is Mikel Arteta? Aston Villa vs Arsenal absence explained
Arteta celebrated but barely appeared to have left his technical area amid suitably joyous scenes on the visiting bench after club-record signing Declan Rice’s 97th-minute winner to give Arsenal a 4-3 win at Kenilworth Road on December 5.
An official seemed to attempt to warn Arteta and he was subsequently booked by referee Samuel Barrott, which will lead to a ban under rules suspending managers once they have collected three yellow cards in a season.
The former Manchester City assistant coach will not be allowed beyond the tunnel at Villa Park and will likely watch the game from the directors’ box.
Aside from that, though, Arteta’s involvement will be largely unaffected. He will be able to join the squad in the dressing room, including at halftime, and can speak to the media as usual afterwards.
Arteta yellow cards: Arsenal manager’s bookings this season
Arteta’s first booking of the Premier League season came in Arsenal’s second home game, when he argued over a decision made by referee Paul Tierney.
The expressive Spaniard had already been in trouble by then, though, after waving an imaginary yellow card 18 minutes into the Community Shield game against City on August 6, indicating the punishment he felt City midfielder Rodri should have received for a challenge on Kai Havertz.
In November, Arteta was backed by Arsenal after being charged by the FA over comments he made saying he was “embarrassed” by a lack of intervention from the Video Assistant Referee over the decisive goal in Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United.
There has been plenty of media scrutiny on Arteta’s behaviour during games. Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys is one figure who will be relieved to see the FA Cup winner face sanctions, having repeatedly criticised Arteta’s antics and even described them as dangerous.
“Seriously – when is someone going to get control of Mikel Arteta?” Keys asked on Twitter in January. “He’s an embarrassment. Totally out of control during games.”
How long is Arteta banned for?
Arteta will serve a one-game ban, meaning the match against the high-flying Villans will be the only game he will be suspended for.
The game looks like being one of the hardest of Arsenal’s season. Villa have won all seven of their Premier League home matches so far, the finest of which came on Wednesday, when they dominated Manchester City on their way to a 1-0 victory which took them above the reigning champions into third in the table.
Villa are four points off the top and have the highest number of goals (24) and positive goal difference (19) of any team in the division at home this term.
Arsenal fans will be hoping Arteta’s punishment does not start the kind of slump in form that City suffered when manager Pep Guardiola served a touchline ban in September.
City won their first six Premier League matches of the season before Guardiola served a suspension for three yellow cards at Wolverhampton Wanderers, where his players duly suffered a shock defeat.
The UEFA Champions League holders had previously seemed invincible but have lost two and won three of their eight Premier League games since then, dropping off the pace in arguably their worst ever run under Guardiola.
💬 “It was a beautiful match of football. Congratulations to Luton, the atmosphere they created was electric, it was special.”
The boss pays tribute to our opponents this evening 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 5, 2023
When will Arteta return?
There will be less pressure on Arsenal when Arteta is back in the dugout for their final Champions League group-stage match at PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday.
The Dutch side are top of their domestic division with 14 wins from 14 matches but cannot catch Arsenal at the top of Group B in Europe’s most prestigious club competition.
Arsenal then host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on December 17, followed by trips to Liverpool (December 23) and Fulham (December 31) either side of a visit from West Ham United (December 28).
What Arteta said about the referee after Luton vs. Arsenal
“I could not be seated in my seat,” Arteta explained to beIN Sports, briefly acknowledging his latest yellow card and attributing his actions to “pure emotion.”
Arteta has questioned whether it is “fair” that managers are not allowed as many bookings as players (five) before receiving a ban.
“I think I am changing,” he added at the end of October, via ESPN. “If you think differently, let me know. But I have made a conscious effort. Basically, I don’t want to get sent off.
“Sometimes when I look at myself and I’m so agitated, I think it can sometimes give an image that is not the best – mainly for the club.
“Sometimes it’s difficult with certain decisions when you are in the heat [of the moment], because you are representing the club and you want to defend them. That’s what drives me. It’s to defend the players, to defend the club. Nothing else.
“It’s not about me. You are there to be on it and make sure that we are the best and most competitive we possibly can be. That’s the drive, nothing else.
“What I don’t allow is that behaviour changes the focus. Then I cannot look at the game or make decisions with clarity.
“I like [players] to feel every single ball. I demand them to do that. But with emotional behaviour, they have to control [themselves], for sure.”
MORE: FA Cup third-round draw in full
There has been a clampdown on certain rules in England this season, including a more stringent application of added time and an emphasis on respect from managers towards officials.
“I cannot change my behaviour in three days,” Arteta said after the Community Shield, via Goal. “It’s a very difficult thing to do… we try our best, I try my best.
“I understand the rules, I understand where they’re coming from. But we can get frustrated because sometimes we don’t know what part of the technical area we are in. But it’s fine; we will adapt.”
