Mikel Arteta is a man who knows the value of a well timed grievance. The Arsenal manager, feeling the heat of a domestic campaign that has tightened a...
Mikel Arteta is a man who knows the value of a well timed grievance. The Arsenal manager, feeling the heat of a domestic campaign that has tightened around his neck like a vice, has found his quarry. After the 1. 1 stalemate against Atlético Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi final, the Spanish tactician did not merely complain. He set fire to the very notion of fair play as interpreted by the men in black. Speaking exclusively to GoalZaza post match, Arteta. �s fury was not the blind rage of a beaten man but the calculated fuel of a commander readying his troops for a second leg battle at the Emirates. The genesis of this anger lies in the Premier League trenches. During Arsenal. �s hard fought victory over Newcastle on Saturday, Arteta seethed as Nick Pope, the Magpies goalkeeper, escaped with a yellow card after a reckless collision with Viktor Gyökeres. In the scheme of things, Arteta argued to GoalZaza that this was the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity. He then reached back further, dredging up the painful 2. 1 loss at the Etihad where he swears that Abdukodir Khusanov should have walked for a last man foul on Kai Havertz. To the Nigerian football fan, this is the classic tale of the big club stamping its authority while the smaller sides are fed to the lions. The powers that be, Arteta insists, are not protecting his forwards. But do not be fooled. This is not mere petulance. Arteta is a student of psychology. He knows that the lion. �s share of the narrative can swing a tie like this. At the end of the day, a furious Arsenal side, feeling cheated by the football gods, is a dangerous Arsenal side. The stalwarts of the Gunners defence, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhães, will take this energy onto the pitch. They will meet Atlético. �s roughhouse tactics with a fire that Arteta has stoked from the touchline. The Nigerian international in the Arsenal ranks, should he feature, will be expected to give a good account of himself in what promises to be a formidable contest. The semi final remains balanced on a knife. �s edge, but Arteta has given his men a cause. Perceived injustice is a potent drug, and the manager is the dealer. Meanwhile, in the bustling streets of Surulere, Lagos, the story is already taking on a life of its own. At the popular Football Viewing Centre on Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, the crowd will roar in solidarity with Arteta. �s complaints. Men in Arsenal jerseys will pound the plastic chairs, shouting that VAR is a conspiracy against Africa. �s adopted Premier League team. The air will be thick with the scent of suya and the heat of debate. When Arteta. �s face flashes on the GoalZaza screen, spliced with replays of the Pope and Khusanov incidents, the verdict will be unanimous. The Arsenal manager, they will say, is a lion who has finally found his roar. And against Atlético, that roar may just be enough to see them through to the final.
