logo
logo
Mikel Arteta bellows instructions during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Watford at Emirates Stadium, London, November 2021.

Watch: Mikel Arteta brutally savages Arsenal players after FA Cup exit

Mikel Arteta is being shown in a new light in Amazon Prime documentary ‘Arsenal: All or Nothing’ and footage has emerged of the Gunners boss fuming after their FA Cup defeat at Nottingham Forest last season.

Arsenal’s ups and downs throughout one of their most tumultuous campaigns in modern history have been aired to the world as part of the latest programme in a series which has already followed Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.

From losing their opening three Premier League games of the season to launching a Champions League charge, Arsenal‘s emotional rollercoaster of a season has been documented in fascinating detail for football fans to enjoy.

And viewers were given a fascinating insight into Arteta’s mindset following their defeat at Nottingham Forest in January.

After a miserable 1-0 defeat at the City Ground, summed up by Nuno Tavares being tactically substituted in the first-half, Amazon’s fly-on-the-wall cameras showed that Arteta gave his players a piece of his mind.

There was no sign of flip charts, photographers or manifestation exercises when the Arsenal boss came out swinging in the dressing room, letting his players know exactly what he thought about their miserable performance.

“I accept losing guys, I accept losing. I don’t accept these f****** standards, I’m telling you. I don’t accept them, I don’t accept them, these standards,” Arteta said.

“It’s nowhere near, nowhere near. I’m not criticising the attitude but attitude is not enough, courage is not enough, to run is not enough, you have to have much more than that and it’s nowhere near.

“You agree with me guys? Yeah? But between you f****** do it and demand yourself, that’s what I’m telling you in f****** training because I see it in training, that it doesn’t matter to give the ball away. ‘It’s okay, sometimes I go to the next ball and I run,’ no! Because in the game it’s a goal.

“When I lose a duel, I am upset,” Arteta shouts. “When I lose the small-sided games, I am upset because that’s the f****** standards, because you come here and f****** lose.”

As you can see in the footage above, Arteta lifts the kit trolley and slams it down before walking off. “It’s nowhere near guys,” he says. “It’s f****** s***. I’m telling you, s***.”

Many will feel Arteta’s reaction was fully justified; former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane suggested they were playing “like a pub team.” on ITV’s coverage of the match.

“It’s been so poor,” he said on ITV. “Pace of pass, decision making, passing it behind people. Really… rubbish.”


More Arsenal

Ranking every Arsenal home shirt of the Premier League era

15 players you didn’t realise were at Arsenal: Benayoun, Britton, Gayle…