Kyle Walker has declared plans to apologise to Nicolas Jover, set-piece coach for Arsenal, after a fiery disagreement in the tunnel post-match.
Manchester City’s Kyle Walker has announced plans to apologise to Nicolas Jover, Arsenal’s set-piece coach, following a heated exchange after a recent Premier League match. The confrontation occurred after Arsenal secured a win against Manchester City, breaking a 12-game Premier League losing streak against the club. The clash between the two was captured on video.
The disagreement can be traced back to the aftermath of the match, where Gabriel Martinelli’s 86th-minute goal was crucial in giving Arsenal the win.
Walker refused a handshake from Jover, sparking a heated tunnel exchange. “I don’t like losing. A couple of matches before, Nico did not want to shake hands when we beat them. When we lost, he wanted to shake my hand and I did not take it lightly. I will probably reach out to him. It was probably a bit too much,” said Walker.
“It was a big match there and losing in the way we did and so late on hurt.”
Nicolas Jover joined Arsenal’s coaching staff in 2021, having previously worked with Manchester City under Pep Guardiola. He was brought to Arsenal by Mikel Arteta, and has been instrumental in improving Arsenal’s set-piece efficiency, a factor that played a role in the recent win over Manchester City.
Neither of the club’s managers opted to comment on the incident. Pep Guardiola stated, “I know what happened but I won’t say anything. They know it.” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta also claimed ignorance regarding the confrontation.
Former players have offered their perspectives on the incident. Micah Richards, a former Manchester City defender, noted that “It looked like he was going to shake his hand, but Kyle didn’t really want to.” Ex-Arsenal winger Theo Walcott added that “a nerve had been hit” during the post-match events.
The incident adds another layer to Manchester City’s recent string of disappointments, which also include a Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Newcastle United and a league loss to Wolves.
Despite winning against RB Leipzig in the Champions League, the defeat by Arsenal was a significant setback, particularly coming, as it did, ahead of the international break.