During Arsenal’s 3-2 loss to Manchester United on Sunday, one of the stranger things to happen was Louis van Gaal suddenly throwing himself to the floor in front of Mike Dean in the second half.

Although it wasn’t clear at first, it did appear as if he was trying to imitate one of our players diving, as we’d just been given a free-kick. However, the display from the usually calm manager was a little odd to say the least.

512846102 combination of pictures created and taken on gettyimages
A combination of pictures created and taken on February 28, 2016 shows Manchester United’s Dutch manager Louis van Gaal (L) having words with fourth official Mike Dean on the touchline before falling over on the floor and Van Gaal falling over (C) and Van Gall getting up (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester in north west England on February 28, 2016. (OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)

The Dutchman has since apologised for his behaviour, claiming that the emotion got the better of him.

“I was a little bit emotional, too much I think,” he said to the press afterwards.

“It is not good for the authority of the referee and the linesman and the fourth referee. I have apologised and they have accepted it.” 

Van Gaal was oddly animate during the match and you can’t really blame him. Arsenal played appallingly against a team we really should have been beating and we ultimately got humiliated by a group of children. Combine this with the recent criticism of the manager and talk of Jose Mourinho having already signed a contract with the Red Devils and you can understand why he was so thrilled.