Mikel Arteta has called for focus and professionalism after some Arsenal players mocked Erling Haaland and Man City during their 5-1 victory at the Emirates.

Key Incidents

• 🎯 Myles Lewis-Skelly copied Haaland’s iconic celebration after scoring his first senior goal for Arsenal.
• 😏 Gabriel taunted Haaland following Martin Ødegaard’s early goal, seemingly responding to the striker’s previous antics.
• 🔥 Haaland had mocked Arsenal players in the 2-2 draw earlier this season, bouncing the ball off Gabriel’s head and clashing with Arteta & Lewis-Skelly at full-time.
• 😡 Haaland’s father, Alfie Haaland, hit back on social media, mocking Arsenal’s lack of recent trophies.

Arteta’s Response

When asked about his players' actions, Arteta downplayed the controversy:
🗣️ "There’s nothing I want to discuss about that. That’s down to the players, but they know my view on it. We have to focus on us."

Pressed further, he added:
🗣️ "We have to focus on us and leave anything that happened on the pitch. I have been in football a long time. Whatever happens, just leave it."

Arsenal’s Title Race Boost

• 🔺 Arsenal cut the gap to Liverpool to 6 points with the emphatic win.
• 🔻 Man City drops to 4th place, now 9 points behind Arsenal.

Lewis-Skelly’s Breakout Moment

The 18-year-old has had a dream breakthrough season, with Arteta praising his maturity and attacking instincts:
🗣️ "He takes risks, he takes initiative, and at his age, that’s not easy to see."

What’s Next?

Arsenal’s title charge continues, while City will need to recover quickly to stay in the race.