- Mikel Arteta has criticised officiating performances in post-match interview
- Sky Sports Pundit Roy Keane said Arteta should stop focus his energy elsewhere
- Ten-man Arsenal had to settle with a point after drawing 2-2 with Man City
- LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off!, available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Roy Keane has criticised Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta for his post-match comments about refereeing decisions throughout the Gunners’ 2-2 draw with Manchester City.
Arteta specifically criticised referee Michael Oliver’s decision to send Arsenal midfielder Leandro Trossard off, after the player received a second booking for kicking away a ball that had gone out play.
Speaking in his post-match interview with Sky Sports, the Arsenal boss alluded to inconsistencies in the game’s officiating, after it appeared City winger Jeremy Doku similarly appeared to delay play by kicking the ball away.
‘There were two incidents, very similar.’ Arteta told an interviewer. ‘In particular one was very different with a different outcome that forces you to play a game that nobody wanted to watch.’
When drawn on the Trossard sending off, Arteta responded icely, ‘You can ask me, but its that obvious I don’t have to comment.’
Mikel Arteta has criticised officiating performances in a frosty post-match interview
But Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane has said Arteta needs to move past using the same excuse
Arteta (left) criticised the sending-off Leandro Trossard for delaying play after kicking a ball away – but not booking City’s Jeremy Doku, who appeared to do the same thing
But sharing his reaction to Arteta’s interview, Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane believes the Spaniard’s frustrations were misplaced, and that he can’t keep blaming officials when things do not go his team’s way.
‘Managers are coming out every week saying every decision is against them,’ Keane said. ‘Just come out and accept it.
‘Deep down he’ll be satisfied with a point. Show a bit of class, manager of Arsenal. He probably deserved the red card, we reacted well and we move on.
That’s the end of it. Take your medicine and move on. Show a bit of class.’
The former Man United legend said Arteta’s on-air grievances reflected a wider trend of managers being critical of officiating performances in the Premier League – one he’s growing tired of hearing.
‘Wouldn’t it be good if a manager came out after a game and just said: ‘Yeah, you know what he was a bit silly, it was a yellow card,’ Keane said.
‘Every manager is coming out every week going: ‘No, it wasn’t a foul, it wasn’t this, something happened five minutes earlier.’
Mikel Arteta’s post-match demeanour was frosty, as he gave short responses to reporters
‘Just come out and be big enough… players do daft stuff on a football pitch, come out and show a bit of class and say:
‘The referee gave him a chance to send him off. We’re disappointed but we move on.’
