Arsenal suffered a 1-0 defeat at the hands of north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, but the result wasn’t the only talking point from the cagey pre-season clash
Richard Keys has once again vented his frustrations with Mikel Arteta, after the Arsenal boss was pushed aside by Pedro Porro during the Gunners’ pre-season clash with Tottenham Hotspur. While the north London bragging rights ultimately went to fans of the Lilywhites, who emerged 1-0 winners thanks to Pape Matar Sarr’s audacious 45th-minute strike from the halfway line, the scoreline wasn’t the only talking point.
That’s because tensions between right-back Porro and Arteta bubbled over midway into the second half. The 25-year-old was seen brushing his compatriot out of the way as he prepared to take a throw in.
Given that Arteta was obstructing his path and outside of his managerial zone, Porro then gestured towards the markings on the pitch, showing the Gunners boss he had overstepped his area. The fourth official got in between them to diffuse the situation, and Porro’s act was one Keys later threw his support behind on social media, with the presenter being a long-time critic of Arteta’s touchline behaviour.
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Taking to X, Keys wrote: “Well done Pedro Porro. For how long have I been on Arteta’s case? If his team is prepared properly & he trusts them there’s no need for the nonsense on the touch line. Stay in your box man.”
While the replies on Keys’ take were a mixed bag, some agreeing with his stance while others criticising him for singling out Arteta when other managers have been guilty of stepping out of their boxes, it’s not the first time that Keys has been vocal about the manager as of late.
During Arsenal’s September 2022 clash with Manchester United, Keys took to social media to lambast him for being on the verge of the touchline, while sharing a photo of the manager almost gracing the pitch. Alongside the snap, he wrote: “Why is Arteta allowed to spend the game on the touch line? Again today – in front of the 4th official as well. Does he has special dispensation?”
Just two months later, Keys was actively criticising Arteta’s presence on the sidelines once again, even tagging The FA’s Professional Game Match Officials Limited in his post to do something about the boss’ behaviour during a 1-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
On that occasion, he wrote: “Why is this allowed every week @FA_PGMOL? Arteta has been jumping up & down all game – way outside his technical area. [Graham] Potter is in his & 4th is watching. Do something about this man.”
It’s not just Arteta’s actions from the dugout that has seemingly boiled the blood of Keys over the years, however, with the long-time pundit branding him “delusional” for his comments on Arsenal following their Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of PSG in May.
Arsenal needed to overcome a 1-0 deficit when they headed to the Parc des Princes to fight for their place in the final of the competition, with Ousmane Dembele giving Les Parisiens the edge in the first leg. Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi had other plans on the night however, with Bukayo Saka’s strike coming as a meer consolation prize for the Gunners who suffered a 2-1 loss away from home, and a 3-1 loss on aggregate.
Arteta felt incredibly hard done-by through his side’s exit from the Champions League, claiming they did not deserve to lose their semi-final. However, Keys was quick to take issue with the manager’s comments, taking to X to write: “One of Arteta’s many problems is he’s delusional.
“Arsenal haven’t been good enough all season. They won’t be again until he accepts that. They had spells in both games v Paris but that’s not enough. The best teams are in the final.”
Despite losing to Spurs, Arsenal’s pre-season preparations have been positive on the whole. The north London outfit secured a 1-0 win over AC Milan earlier this month in their opening game of the tour, before handing Newcastle United a 3-2 loss days later. They are now set to return to British soil to take on Villarreal at the Emirates Stadium come Wednesday, before facing off with Athletic Club in the Emirates Cup three days later.
Arsenal’s Premier League opener is on Sunday, August 17, as they travel to Old Trafford to take on long-time rivals Manchester United.
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