Naturally, athletes receive the most of the focus, but a successful season greatly depends on having a strong coaching staff. Arsenal has also discovered a leader who is on par with all of their bright young talent in Mikel Arteta. Not including his spell as an assistant for Manchester City, the manager’s tenure on the sidelines began slowly, but now the Gunners are playing at full strength.
But he won’t have much of an impact on the game as his team approaches a crucial test.
The Gunners will travel to Birmingham on Saturday, December 9 to play Aston Villa. However, Arteta won’t be sitting on the bench with his soldiers once things get going.
Why the noticeable lack of presence? Let’s dissect it.
If you follow international soccer tournaments or watch club soccer, you are surely aware that receiving too many yellow cards might result in suspension. The fundamental notion is that receiving several cautions adds up to a heavier penalty.
Managers and coaches in the Premier League operate under a similar structure. However, in their case, the first (one-match) touchline ban will be triggered after three bookings.
Arteta will therefore have to watch the Arsenal vs. Aston Villa game from a distance.
Apart from his yellow card in the Community Shield, Arteta was booked in the draws with Chelsea and Fulham. On the bright side, his third warning occurred in much friendlier circumstances.
Declan Rice’s header helped Arsenal escape Luton with all three points during their most recent game. The players and coaching staff were in a state of rapture when they scored the goal, which came almost at the very end of the game. However, it appears that Arteta crossed the line and was given a yellow card.
But when questioned about it, he didn’t seem to have many grievances.
Furthermore, even though Arteta’s off-field actions have angered some, social media has mostly been on his side.
“As a neutral that watched the game, I didn’t even think he celebrated enough.” In response to the r/soccer article regarding the suspension, Reddit member Dubsified wrote. With over 700 upvotes, that comment was well-received by the community.
“What was he thinking about celebrating a last-minute winner?” The user official_bagel wrote, with a more caustic tone. “He should have given a subtle nod of acknowledgment and maybe a thumbs up if he was feeling particularly emotional.”
“What did he do wrong?” Godlop, a user, enquired. “In this case, he celebrated as any manager would. If he had entered the pitch, I might understand, but that didn’t happen.”
That third card has been added to Arteta’s record, regardless of your opinion. He now faces a touchline ban as payment for his actions.
Even though the manager can still communicate with his players in the locker room, sit in the director’s box, and even transmit messages out to the field despite the touchline restriction, it nevertheless adds another degree of difficulty to an already difficult journey to Villa Park.
After dominating Manchester City in the midweek match, Unai Emery’s team is on a high, and they will be eager to do it again against Arsenal.
To what extent does communication during a match matter? This Saturday, thanks to Arteta’s ban, we’ll find out directly.
