Mikel Arteta to miss Arsenal final Premier League clash v Southampton – here’s why
Image credit: Getty Images
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be suspended for the Gunners’ final Premier League match of the season against Southampton after receiving a yellow card in Sunday’s 1-0 win over Newcastle United.
The Spaniard was booked for delaying the restart of play after passing a ball onto the pitch following a Newcastle throw-in. Referee Simon Hooper deemed the act as time-wasting, issuing Arteta his third caution of the campaign—triggering an automatic one-match touchline ban.
As a result, Arteta will not be allowed on the sidelines when Arsenal travel to St. Mary’s Stadium to face Southampton on the final day (May 25).
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Arsenal sealed their place in next season’s UEFA Champions League with a hard-fought victory over Newcastle, courtesy of Declan Rice’s superb second-half strike. The England international broke the deadlock with a precise curled effort from the edge of the box, set up by captain Martin Ødegaard.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will be absent from the touchline for the match against Southampton (Image credit: Getty Images)The win leaves Arsenal five points clear of third-placed Newcastle and virtually guarantees a second-place finish, even if Manchester City win their game in hand, due to the Gunners’ superior goal difference.
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Despite the narrow scoreline, Arsenal had goalkeeper David Raya to thank for a string of crucial saves. The Spaniard denied Bruno Guimarães from close range, kept out Tino Livramento’s effort, and produced a stunning full-stretch stop to push Harvey Barnes’ deflected shot wide.
His finest moment came shortly after, pulling off a remarkable double save to thwart headers from Newcastle defenders Dan Burn and Sven Botman following a corner.
With the Saints clash now a dead rubber in terms of league position, the absence of Mikel Arteta is unlikely to have much impact but it marks an unfortunate end to an otherwise impressive Premier League campaign for the Arsenal boss.
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