Richard Keys blasts Sky Sports over Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal spat at Man United
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gave a Sky Sports reporter exactly what he “deserved” by walking out of his post-match interview, according to Richard Keys.
Arsenal fans turned their frustrations on Declan Rice, despite the England international scoring against Man United in their 1-1 draw on Sunday (9 March).
The midfielder was not the only Gunner to be criticised by fans, after Arsenal fans fumed at Leandro Trossard for giving away a free-kick, allowing Bruno Fernandes to score for Man United.
This season has been a frustrating one for the club, with the North London club failing to capitalise on Man City’s capitulation.
Following the draw, Arsenal now sit 15 points behind league-leaders Liverpool, and look set to finish second for a third successive season.
Sky Sports reporter chose ‘daft time’ to ask Mikel Arteta striker question
Despite dominating the ball, and having more shots than their opponents, Arsenal were unable to capitalise, drawing their 10th Premier League game this season.
In his post-match interview, Arteta tried to make an early exit when asked about the failure to sign a striker in January, before the reporter who was questioning the Spaniard stopped him to ask one more question about the Gunners lagging behind in the title race.
The Spanish manager thanked the reporter, and walked away, choosing not to answer the question.
Writing on his blog, Keys backed Arteta, and criticised the reporter for the timing of his question, saying: “Arteta knows that as well [not having a centre-forward is not the reason Arsenal are behind Liverpool], which is one reason he walked away from Sky’s reporter post-match.
“What a daft time that reporter chose to ask about Arsenal not having signed a ‘proper’ 9. He got what he deserved – short shrift.
“I don’t usually like to see reporters dismissed like that. I don’t like how Guardiola looks down his nose at an inquisitor, but the job after a game requires a touch and feel.
“Sky’s man showed neither, but I guess his bosses will be congratulating themselves on the clicks they got. It’s sad that matters more than anything else nowadays.”
| Match stats | Man United | Arsenal |
| Possession | 32% | 68% |
| Shots (on target) | 10 (6) | 17 (6) |
| Expected goals | 1.52 | 1.62 |
| Big chances (missed) | 2 (2) | 2 (2) |
| Corners | 2 | 9 |
Mikel Arteta fails to adapt side to cope with loss of Kai Havertz
Football Insider Verdict
Injuries have played a major factor this season, with superstar Bukayo Saka out injured, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus suffering season-ending injuries, and Gabriel Martinelli only just returning from a lengthy layoff.
However, what makes a good manager into a great one, is how they adapt to challenging circumstances.
Arteta has taken the unusual approach of using Mikel Merino as a number nine, against the weaker opposition of Leicester and PSV Eindhoven, it paid off, but against United, it was miserable to watch.
The North London side’s lack of firepower is obvious, and well-covered. What is most interesting is the Spaniard’s decision to stick with a tactical set-up that only really seems to work when all of his best players are available.
Against United, Arteta once again chose to use two defensive midfielders alongside Odegaard, and rather than push the Norweigan up behind Merino, the former Real Madrid man maintained his position as a wide central midfielder.
Given the home side were set-up to sit deep, and play for the counter, leaving Merino isolated in an unfamiliar position, it felt like a natural development to move Odegaard inside, to play off the Spaniard, who was being used as a target man.
However, Arteta chose to stick with his tried and true structure, resulting in a lot of crosses, and not a lot of chances of any real value against the Red Devils.