Mikel Arteta’s touchline behaviour has come under scrutiny once again, with former player Chris Sutton branding him a “clown” for his animated displays during matches.
This latest dig follows Arsenal’s thrilling 2-2 draw against Liverpool in the Premier League.
Sutton had previously criticised Arteta for his touchline demeanour during Arsenal’s goalless draw with Newcastle in January.
The former Blackburn and Chelsea forward believes that, while fans might enjoy the passion Arteta displays on the touchline, it is unnecessary and may not accurately represent the manager’s input in the dressing room.
Sutton said, “There’s no doubt Arteta has acted like a clown in the technical area at times, and the punters love all that stuff. They do love it. They love seeing the manager jumping up and around and animated, and in the fourth official’s face. I don’t and I think it’s a bit of an act at times.”
Despite the criticism, Arteta’s impact on Arsenal’s season cannot be ignored. The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League table, albeit with their lead cut to six points after the draw with Liverpool.
The Arsenal boss is confident his team will continue to respond positively, citing their consistent performances across 31 games this season.
Other managers, who are just as animated on the touchlines, do not get the same sort of criticism as we’ve seen consistently this season when it comes to Mikel Arteta.
Why that is, who can say?
Who is Chris Sutton?
Chris Sutton is a former English footballer who had a successful career as a forward in the 1990s and early 2000s.
He started his career at Norwich City in 1991, where he spent four years before moving to Blackburn Rovers in 1994 for a then-British transfer record fee of £5 million.
It was at Blackburn where Sutton formed a prolific strike partnership with Alan Shearer, and the duo helped the team win the Premier League title in the 1994-95 season.
After his time at Blackburn, Sutton had spells at Chelsea, Celtic, Birmingham City, and Aston Villa before retiring in 2007.
During his time at Celtic, he won four Scottish Premier League titles, three Scottish Cups, and one Scottish League Cup.
Sutton, now 50, played against Arsenal 16 times, winning three, drawing seven and losing six, all without scoring a single goal.