The Premier League winning manager was at the centre of a much-publicised fallout following a derby clash
Arteta found himself at the centre of a fiery post-match episode(Image: Craig Mercer - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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While he is a fixture in the Arsenal dugout these days, Mikel Arteta was once in the centre of dressing room drama at a Manchester Derby. The Spaniard spent a number of years on Pep Guardiola's coaching staff at the Etihad Stadium before getting his first taste of the managerial spotlight in North London.
During the second of those seasons, in 2017/18, Arteta was part of the City contingent which travelled to Old Trafford to face a Jose Mourinho side managed by Jose Mourinho. Guardiola's visitors went into the game as runaway league leaders and strengthened their position at the top of the table as David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi netted in a 2-1 win.
It was a 14th victory on the spin for the visitors. However, the home side didn't seem to take too kindly to their opponents' celebrations, which involved ticker tape and loud music.
Mourinho reportedly made his feelings known, prompting a strong reaction from City players, including goalkeeper Ederson. But it was Arteta who found himself caught in the crossfire.
Mourinho was reported to have been sprayed with water after calling on City's players to show more respect. A carton of milk was also thrown in the direction of the Portuguese, missing him but hitting another United staff member.
Arteta was struck by a plastic bottle in the fallout, leaving the City coach bleeding from a cut. The identity of the thrower was never confirmed, though things didn't appear to escalate any further, with the clubs saying no punches were thrown in the dispute.
Reports at the time suggested things quickly calmed down, with players soon chatting to one another as normal. Mourinho chose his words carefully in his post-match press conference, comparing City's behaviour to that of United when they won at Arsenal the previous week.
"What we did in the Arsenal stadium, you know? It was completely diverse [to City's conduct]," he said. "What we did, what happened after that match, the way we behaved as winners."
Manchester City players celebrating after a derby win in 2017
City's celebration came under scrutiny(Image: Twitter/@Notamendi30)
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Guardiola also addressed the matter, saying: "What happened in the locker room happened. Hopefully it is never going to happen again.
"If we were not correct then I apologise to Manchester United. But our intention was not that – it was to celebrate inside the locker room and if people cannot understand that, I'm sorry, we won a derby.
"If we offended United then I apologise but sometimes United have made a lot of celebrations in the past over City," added Guardiola. He also said he was the one who urged the players to celebrate.
The fallout from the match didn't disturb City's fast start to the season. They won their next four games in the league, scoring 13 times in the process, en route to what remains a Premier League record 100-point season.
United bounced back themselves, embarking on an eight-game unbeaten run. They also won the reverse fixture, coming back from 2-0 down at the Etihad Stadium, with the win helping them secure second place behind their rivals.
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