Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between Arsenal FC and LOSC Lille at Arsenal Stadi...
Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD2 match between Arsenal FC and LOSC Lille at Arsenal Stadium on October 13, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta has suggested he’s compiling footage of other Premier League managers after being targeted by the media and officials for leaving his technical area.
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 26: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Arsenal FC and FC Bayern München at Arsenal Stadium on November 26, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 26: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta looks on during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Arsenal FC and FC Bayern München at Arsenal Stadium on November 26, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta received a booking for leaving his technical area during Arsenal’s win over Everton on Saturday, but the Gunners boss suggested afterwards that he’s far from the only one to do it.
According to Arteta, some Premier League managers leave the technical area as often as 36 times in the space of 10 minutes, and he’s putting together a compilation of the offences.
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, applauds the fans after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Nottingham Forest FC and Arsenal FC at City Ground on October 18, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, applauds the fans after the Premier League 2026/27 match between Nottingham Forest FC and Arsenal FC at City Ground on October 18, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
“I do have to be careful, put sensors there [on the edge of the technical area]!” Arteta said. “There are managers that have the record in the league, 36 times in 10 minutes they leave the touchline, no yellows.
“I’m clipping all of that, I have a massive storage of images, I don’t have the record yet.
“Let’s see – then it’s 36 yellow cards in 10 minutes for managers, where are we going to be then? Let’s see.”
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks on during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Sunderland and Arsenal FC at Stadium of Light on September 12, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, looks on during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Sunderland and Arsenal FC at Stadium of Light on September 12, 2026 in Sunderland, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
There’s been a bit of an unfair focus on Arteta leaving his technical area during recent weeks and months, considering it’s such a common thing throughout the Premier League.
As one of the division’s top teams and current champions, perhaps it’s to be expected that Arsenal would be the team the league use to make an example for the other managers. But that’s hardly fair on the Gunners, giving them a different rulebook to the rest of the league.
The occasional yellow card here or there shouldn’t do too much to Arsenal’s Premier League title chances. But if it starts leading to suspensions, and the Gunners have to play matches without their manager for the same offence that’s going unpunished elsewhere, then that’s a problem.
With any luck, Arteta bringing his compilation of images to the Premier League will lead to a fairer application of the punishment across all 20 teams.
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, and Albert Stuivenberg, Assistant Manager of Arsenal, watch on during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Nottingham Forest FC and Arsenal FC at City Ground on October 18, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, and Albert Stuivenberg, Assistant Manager of Arsenal, watch on during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Nottingham Forest FC and Arsenal FC at City Ground on October 18, 2026 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)