Arsenal wanted a late penalty when Bukayo Saka fell inside the box (Picture: Reuters)
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has calmed down following Tuesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw against Bayern Munich.
Saka went down in the penalty area in the dying moments of stoppage time after a clash with Manuel Neuer but Arsenal were not given a spot kick.
The England international took to social media to vent his frustrations after the game but not everyone thought it was a penalty.
Arsenal legend Ian Wright was adamant that the referee made the right decision and that a spot kick should not have been awarded.
Ahead of Sunday’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa, Arteta insists Saka has now put the incident behind him.
Asked by one reporter if Saka had ‘calmed down’, Arteta said: ‘Yes, he looked fine this morning. He’s had 48 hours to think about it and it’s done.’
Meanwhile, Arteta has lauded Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, who he replaced as Arsenal manager in 2019.
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa travel to the Emirates on Sunday (Picture: Getty)
‘He’s made a huge impact at the club (Aston Villa) in terms of performances and consistency, it’s unbelievable what they are doing,’ Arteta added.
‘They’re still in European competition and they played last night so its really impressive with what they’ve done.
‘It’s unbelievable (Emery reaching 1,000 games as a manager) and he’s done it in so many different countries, in so many different contexts and has been incredibly successful.
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‘Obviously he’s from very close to my hometown and I have huge admiration for him and his respect. I wish him the best after Sunday, but what he’s doing is really impressive.’
Emery spent the 2018-19 campaign in charge of Arsenal, as they finished as runners-up in the Europa League and missed out on the top four by one point in the first season after Arsene Wenger’s departure.
He has massively impressed since taking the Villa job in October 2022 – guiding them to Europa Conference League qualification last term – an achievement which saw him nominated for Premier League Manager of the Season.
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