11 February 2023 , 18:30
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Arsenal have failed to win in successive Premier League matches for the first time this season after an underwhelming performance saw them held to a 1-1 draw by Brentford on Saturday.
Leandro Trossard ’s opener for the Gunners midway through the second half was cancelled out eight minutes by Ivan Toney, following a lengthy VAR check. It was a moment of great frustration for the Gunners, whose side are now under pressure – for the first time this season – after a defeat at Everton last week.
Yet Arteta’s touchline demeanour and messages to his players were notably different from six weeks ago – when he let his frustrations show after being held to a scoreless draw at home by Newcastle. His side were denied two late penalty shouts, leading the boss to say that the refereeing performance was “scandalous ".
Arteta’s behaviour was severely criticised by Alan Shearer, who claimed after the game that the Gunners boss had lost his composure and he needed to rethink.
Shearer said at the time: “I think Mikel Arteta needs to have a word with himself, or his assistant needs to have a word with him and calm him down. I think he’s disrespectful to the opposition and he’s making it very difficult for the referees who have a hard enough job as it is.
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“I get he wants to be animated but if his players behaved like him, he wouldn’t like it and it would cost him. He needs to calm down. I get they’re top of the league and it’s a big game, but he’s making it very, very difficult for referees and he’s disrespecting the opposition.”
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Mikel Arteta urged his Arsenal players to keep their composure despite a below-par showing (Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)After recent frustrating results, Arteta has neither focused on officiating nor let his frustrations show on the touchline. After the loss at Everton, he insisted he “loved” his players and said after the defeat : "It is easy to be next to someone when they are winning well.
"I am still so proud of all of these players, they deserve it. This is not going to be a rose pathway. This is going to be tricky and we will have to dig in and play much better than we did today."
The Gunners boss adapted a similarly calm and level-headed approach against Brentford on Saturday. He was less energetic on the sidelines than he had been in previous months and was constantly in talks with his coaching staff throughout the match.
Arteta remained positive throughout the game despite his side's showing (Clive Mason/Getty Images)After Brentford’s equaliser, following a lengthy and somewhat controversial VAR check – Arteta did not show any frustration or irritation on the sideline. Instead, he reacted by offering encouragement to his players with claps and pointers to move forward.
Arteta’s shift in approach perhaps indicates that he has learned a lesson from the previous months and the stresses and pressure that come with top-level management. His side remain top of the Premier League and if they are to get through this blip in form and get their hands on their first title in 19 years, both Arteta and his players will need to keep their cool.