Arteta Urges Arsenal to Learn from Past Celebrations Ahead of Manchester City Clash

AFP | Sydney

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has urged his players to learn from last season’s controversial goal celebration by defender Myles Lewis-Skelly ahead of Sunday’s high-stakes clash with Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium.

Lewis-Skelly drew widespread attention last February when he mimicked City striker Erling Haaland’s iconic goal celebration during Arsenal’s 5-1 victory over Pep Guardiola’s side. The incident sparked debate, particularly as Arsenal narrowly missed out on the Premier League title in both 2023 and 2024, intensifying the rivalry between the two clubs.

The tension has been further fueled by past incidents, including Haaland’s public taunt of Arteta, urging him to “stay humble” following a 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium last season. Lewis-Skelly, a teenager who has yet to start a match for Arsenal this season, faced criticism for his provocative celebration.

When asked about his players’ goal celebrations ahead of the City showdown, Arteta commented:
"Well, that was done, and that’s part of it. There have been a lot of celebrations—or non-celebrations—in the past from many teams. The experience is to learn and grow as well, and we certainly learnt from that."

Arsenal recently secured a midweek Champions League win against Athletic Bilbao in Spain, despite missing key players Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard, and Ben White. Arteta suggested the trio could miss the City clash as they have yet to train this week.

"If there is a chance, it will be after tomorrow’s session because they haven’t done anything yet. We will have more information tomorrow," Arteta explained.
"Everything has been modified so far for them. There are still a few things to clear, and we’ll have more information on whether they are part of the squad or have a chance to be involved."

Meanwhile, striker Viktor Gyökeres is expected to be available after recovering from a head injury sustained during a clash with teammate Gabriel Magalhães, which required stitches.