Unai Emery maintained that he had been ‘waiting’ for Mikel Arteta, even though it appeared he ignored a post-match handshake with the Arsenal manager following their victory over Aston Villa.
Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to five points after delivering an outstanding second-half display in north London on Tuesday evening.
Aston Villa had the chance to draw level with the league leaders had they secured a win, with the contest goalless at halftime.
However, the home side came out with renewed energy after the interval, and a returning Gabriel Magalhaes broke the stalemate just three minutes into the second half.
Further goals from Martin Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus built a comfortable advantage, while Ollie Watkins scored a late consolation during stoppage time.
When the match ended, Arteta first celebrated with his coaching staff before making his way along the touchline toward the Villa technical area, apparently in search of Emery.
Emery, however, was no longer there, leaving Arteta momentarily puzzled.
During his post-match press conference, Emery — who spent 18 months managing at the Emirates following Arsene Wenger’s exit — stated that he had been waiting for Arteta before ‘deciding to go inside’.
‘After finishing the match my routine is always quick, shake hands… I was waiting. Of course [Arteta] was happy. But he was with the coaches and I can’t wait for him.
‘I was there but no problem. I went to my dressing room.’
Arteta dismissed any controversy when speaking to the media afterward, explaining: **‘It’s not an issue. Sometimes we are in this sort of moment, so it’s not an issue for me.’**
Aston Villa had entered the match on an impressive 11-game winning streak, which included a victory over Arsenal in the reverse fixture earlier this month.
They remain third in the table, with Manchester City looking to keep pace with Arsenal when they face Sunderland on Thursday night.
