Mikel Arteta shows ego of Donald Trump after ‘unbelievable’ Arsenal draw with Man City
Arsenal now look like a team without ego, and we should all congratulate Mikel Arteta for carrying that burden of arrogance. The man is desperate for recognition.
Having been asked whether Max Dowman would be in the Arsenal squad for their League Cup clash with Port Vale on Wednesday, after lauding the teenager’s “unbelievable” performance for the England-19s in their 3-3 draw with Spain, Arteta confirmed he would be in the squad (he eventually did very well) before spotting an opportunity to draw the sort of fake laughter that only ever comes from schmoozing members of the press pack.
“It depends, I might put the handbrake on and then…”
How they all chortled.
The wisecrack was in reference to the widespread criticism he’s faced after the 1-1 draw with Manchester City on Sunday over his stodgy team selection and an overly cautious approach against a side which was – let’s face it – there for the taking.
Although “dominance” over a team managed by Pep Guardiola ordinarily deserves the huge credit Arteta is clearly desperate for, this may be as far from a vintage Pep side as we’ve ever seen on the back of City’s worst season under him and after defeats to Tottenham and Brighton already in this campaign.
“How can you be dominant against such a team if you have, what was the word?” Handbrake. Dominance and handbrake, they are two different words.”
Maybe he literally means they’re “different words” – if so, it’s hard to find fault in that logic – but we’re guessing he’s suggesting they’re antithetical, and they’re just not. A quick google of ‘Gareth Southgate handbrake’ would tell him that.
Most games towards the end of his tenure saw England dominate opposition sides, and often beat them, only for his critics to slam the turgid manner in which they got the job done.
“But I accept everything,” Arteta added. Doesn’t sound like you do, mate.
He sounds and continues to act more like a man who’s utterly obsessed with how he’s perceived, almost begging for recognition as a top manager having yet to have earned that acclaim through silverware.
“I had a lot of things, on my phone, who could not believe what we did to Manchester City. People who are coaches, managers, CEOs, presidents.”
We half expected him to continue into a jumbled five-minute long sermon extolling the virtues of those “great guys” sending him those “things” to his clicky, ringy machine before insisting pregnant women taking pills for a headache are giving their unborn children autism. “Just a minute guys, that’s the Pope on the line…yeah four centre-backs and three defensive midfielders. Brilliant, wasn’t it.”
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We concede that most footballers and managers rely on a touch of arrogance or an over-inflated ego to get to the position Arteta is in, but the self-obsession is reaching Trumpian levels this season, with the Arsenal boss seemingly unable to pass comment without making it about him.
Is Max Dowman playing? Yes or no would have been fine. The press conference was over – everyone was leaving. And what about David Raya’s astounding record of 41 clean sheets in 99 games for Arsenal, Mikel?
“It’s unbelievable – and I was hammered when I brought him. So that’s perspective as well. Very good to understand the game, and especially when a few months or years go by. It’s really good to look back as well and reflect on that.”
We can only assume that’s us – the hammerers – who need to reflect on our criticism, and maybe ensure all coverage of Arsenal players includes some sort of hat tip to Arteta. Excellent work on Thomas Partey, by the way.
Arteta said after Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with City in April 2024 that “sometimes you have to leave your ego aside and do what you have to do to win the game”, in reference to battening down the hatches at the Etihad in order to win, or not win, in that particular instance.
Maybe that ego, put aside then and staying away from an Arsenal team now showing humility to the point of meekness, has to manifest itself in some way, and is therefore being exhibited to a quite extraordinary and nauseating level by a manager who’s won a single trophy in nearly six years and deflects from that poor record – much like someone might do if they’re, say, making a country great again – by pointing out his own brilliance at any given opportunity.
