“You Go to Church” – After Escaping Punishment for Celebration, Arsenal Coach Mikel Arteta Shuns Critics With A Strong Response

Mikel Arteta has truly changed the fortunes of the North London side, Arsenal. The Gunners are having one of their best seasons right now and are at the top of the English Premier League. Fans and players are thrilled with how the club has flourished under Arteta and are celebrating in a wild manner. And just like that, they continued their celebrations after an emphatic comeback win against Bournemouth. However, the exuberant celebrations received flak from the rest of the football world. Now, the manager of Arsenal, Mikel Arteta, has hit back at his critics.

During last week’s game, the Cherries were impressive and broke the deadlock within a minute after kick off. They even took a 2-0 lead at the Emirates. However, the Gunners responded brilliantly, as goals from Partey, White, and Nelson inspired a brilliant comeback.

Mikel Arteta hits back at his critics

It was an unbelievable moment for both fans and players as Arsenal achieved the impossible on last Saturday. However, their celebrations caught the eye of the FA as players on the bench rushed onto the pitch to celebrate the 97th-minute winner.

The authorities avoided taking harsh decisions against the club. However, the debate arose again after Sky Sports pundit and Manchester United legend, Gary Neville criticized Arteta’s side.

Now, Arteta has given his take on such criticism. When asked about his reaction to the FA’s probe, he said, “If you win in football you celebrate.” The gaffer even said he won’t control his players if similar incidents occur during their upcoming clash against Fulham.

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“Well, [if] you want passion and emotion, there is nothing better than scoring goals and winning football matches. So if not, you go to church. For sure, I won’t be telling the players not to celebrate on Sunday,”  he added.

Injury concerns for Arsenal

After the emphatic win against Bournemouth, the club has now shifted its focus to Fulham. The Gunners will travel to Craven Cottage in the hope of clinching three points against Marco Silva’s men.

However, the club is missing key players from the squad due to injuries. Arsenal’s No. 9 Gabriel Jesus is still a doubt for the clash, as said by the coach. The player returned to training after being out for nearly three months with a knee injury and wasn’t taken to Portugal for their Europa League clash against Sporting Lisbon.

“He wasn’t ready to compete,” Arteta said about Jesus. “Let’s see [about the Fulham game]. He really needs to feel confident and ready to go. He has a big say in that.”

Eddie Nketiah and Leandro Trossard are also expected to miss out after sustaining injuries in their midweek game. On the other hand, Martin Ødegaard and Kieran Tierney missed the midweek encounter due to sickness. However, both will recuperate in time.

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As for Mohamed Elneny, the situation remains the same as he is out indefinitely due to a knee injury. Nevertheless, it would be interesting if the Gunners would be able to take three points to extend their lead at the top of the table.