Sore Loser? Fans Slam Unai Emery Over Mikel Arteta Handshake Snub After Arsenal Thrash Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has explained why he did not shake hands with his Arsenal counterpart, Mikel Arteta, immediately following Villa's 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium, stating that the Gunners' boss kept him waiting.

The heavy loss marked Aston Villa's first defeat in nearly two months, bringing an impressive 11-match winning streak to a halt.

After a frustrating first half for the home side, Arsenal broke the deadlock early in the second period when Gabriel headed in from a corner. Martin Zubimendi quickly doubled the lead, and Leandro Trossard added a third just after the hour mark. Substitute Gabriel Jesus made it 4-0 before Ollie Watkins scored a late consolation goal for Villa after a slick build-up involving Donyell Malen.

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Following the final whistle, Emery reportedly waited on the touchline to shake hands with Arteta but eventually headed down the tunnel as the Arsenal manager celebrated with his coaching staff.

When asked about the incident, Arteta was dismissive. "You saw it, but it's okay, it's all good," he said. "That's okay, it's part of the game and it's not an issue at all."

Emery offered his own perspective on why the customary handshake didn't happen. "It is simple, you can watch. Always my routine is quick," he explained. "I shake hands and then go with my players and coaches into the dressing room. I was waiting. He [Arteta] was waiting and he was with his coaches. I decided to go inside. For me it is no problem."

The moment did not go unnoticed by fans on social media, with many criticising the Villa manager's actions as Arsenal maintained their position at the top of the league table.

One user on X posted: "Unai Emery walked straight into the tunnel without shaking Arteta’s hand. But when he won at Villa Park, he was eager to shake it. Pure nonsense." Another commented, "Emery not shaking Arteta’s hand at the end is a joke," while a third described it as "a very classless act by Unai Emery."

Speaking as a pundit for Sky Sports, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher defended Arteta's conduct. "You shake hands after a game. If it was the other way around, you can imagine what would be being said about Mikel Arteta," Carragher noted.

"But what I would say is I think Mikel Arteta handled that really well in the press conference. Didn’t make a big deal of it and played it down, and rightly so. Emotions are running high at the end of the game, and he handled it really well all round.”

Reflecting on the match, Emery praised his team's first-half performance. "We competed fantastic in the first half and we had momentum," he said. "We felt comfortable, but we conceded the first goal in the second half. Onana's injury didn't help us as he is important from set-pieces."

Despite the result, Emery remained positive about his team's efforts. "We didn't give up and we competed like we were doing. We scored one goal and had other chances. Arsenal are the best team in the league and they are the favourite to win the title. I am happy with how we have set our ambitious demands."