Arsenal have been cleared of any wrongdoing by the Football Association (FA) following an investigation into the nature of their goal celebrations against Bournemouth.

The FA have decided against charging Arsenal after referee Chris Kavanagh noted the celebrations in his report, as the laws of the game require players and staff to behave in a “responsible manner” and to not enter the field of play without valid reason.

Mikel Arteta ran down the touchline, while a number of substitutes entered the pitch to congratulate the scorer of Arsenal’s late, late winner, Reiss Nelson.

While I am, of course, delighted to see common sense prevail it is a curious decision because Arsenal absolutely broke the rules (read below) and the FA have been keen to punish Arsenal at every opportunity this season.

It is good to see, however, that they are not fully focused on sucking all the joy out of the game we love.

In 2018, Jurgen Klopp was fined £8,000 by the FA for admitting to misconduct charges after running onto the pitch to celebrate Divock Origi’s late winner during the Merseyside Derby.

What do the FA rules say about celebrating?

The Football Association (FA) has rules and guidelines around celebrating in football matches.

The IFAB Laws of the Game state that those in the technical area “must behave in a responsible manner” and “must remain within its confines except in special circumstances, e.g. a physiotherapist/doctor entering the field of play, with the referee’s permission, to assess an injured player.”

The rules aim to maintain the integrity of the match and ensure the safety of all participants, including players, coaches, officials, and fans.

Any breach of the rules may result in disciplinary action or sanctions from the FA.