LONDON • Unai Emery's patience snapped towards the end of Arsenal's 1-1 Premier League draw at Brighton on Wednesday.
Frustrated by his side's failure to capitalise on a positive start and then his own inability to influence the game, he kicked out at a water bottle, inadvertently sending it in the direction of a fan.
An apology was immediately offered, and then again at the final whistle.
"I said to them apologies because I kicked the bottle after a disappointing action for us in the last minutes," the Arsenal manager said. "It wasn't hard, but it touched one supporter for them. I said to them I'm sorry."
According to multiple British media reports yesterday, the Football Association is looking into the incident and Emery could face retrospective action.
The Gunners fell short in their bid to strengthen their top-four ambitions as they failed to keep a clean sheet for a ninth away game. They have won two of four league games and only once in their last four in all competitions, a frustrating sequence that started when their 22-match unbeaten run ended at Southampton on Dec 16.
The defensive lapses that contributed to that loss were again evident at the Amex Stadium, when Stephan Lichtsteiner's headed clearance from a long ball fell right into the path of Jurgen Locadia.
NOT GOOD ENOUGH
In the second half, we couldn't impose our game plan. We didn't make more clear chances to win the match.
UNAI EMERY, Arsenal manager, admitting his team were good for only half the match against a mid-table side.
The Brighton forward then took the ball past the on-rushing goalkeeper Bernd Leno before tapping home for his first goal of the season.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had earlier moved one clear at the top of the league's scoring chart with his 13th goal of the season for Arsenal, and Emery was left a little disappointed by the equaliser.
The Spaniard said: "The first half was key in the match. We started winning and had another two chances, but they equalised.
"In the second half, we couldn't impose our game plan. We didn't make more clear chances to win the match."
He made a half-time change, bringing on Alex Iwobi for Mesut Ozil, increasing the feeling that the German is on borrowed time at Arsenal, where he is their highest-paid player on £350,000 a week (S$608,300).
It was the midfielder's first away league start since the match against Crystal Palace on Oct 28, but he again failed to impress his boss, who revealed the substitution was "tactical".
The 47-year-old said: "It's the same every match. Sometimes, I change it tactically when I need something to change."
However, the switch failed to pay off as Iwobi looked just as lost.
Equally puzzling was Emery's second-half decision to remove Alexandre Lacazette, who had set up Aubameyang's opener. Midfielder Aaron Ramsey was introduced despite their pressing need to score.
Forward Lacazette reacted angrily by throwing his gloves to the floor and Arsenal's disjointed display after the break did little to vindicate the manager's decision.
But Emery also defended his change afterwards, insisting Ramsey "deserved to play and take the responsibility because he wants to help us".
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, THE TIMES, LONDON
Neymar banned for three Champions League matches over referee rant The Brazil star missed the 3-1 Champions League second leg last 16 defeat on March 6 through injury, but told match officials
Neymar banned for three Champions League matches over ref rant
Fulham 1-0 Cardiff: Ryan Babel's superb strike leaves Cardiff on brink of relegation Report and highlights as Fulham win third game in succession
Babel strike leaves Cardiff on brink of relegation - Football
Football: Ambitious Hougang United show title promise, but face tough start in Tampines Rovers. Hougang United at a training session ahead of their season opener against Tampines Rovers.
Ambitious Hougang show title promise - theworldnews.net
Women's Team Sues Over 'Institutionalized' Discrimination Players for the US women's national soccer team have filed a federal gender much of the pay disparity between the men's and women
Team USA women's soccer players fight for equal pay - 60
VAR drama mars Juve's historic win. Dec 31, 2018, 5:00 am. Football: We are all Koulibaly: Napoli fans don masks to support racism victim. Dec 30, 2018, 6:09 pm.
Veronica Mars & 90210 Revivals: Everything We Know
Watch FA Cup: Brighton face Man City in semis after beating Millwall on pens Semi-final draw: Man City v Brighton, Watford v Wolves; They'll play Manchester City in their first FA Cup semi
FA Cup semi-finals: Man City v Brighton, Watford v Wolves
Lionel Messi nets the 31st La Liga hat-trick of his career By Agency Report On Dec 17, 2018 Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick against Levante in a 5-0 win, and with Luis Suarez also on the score sheet, those two have now netted more goals between them this season than the entire Real Madrid team.
Champions League 2018: Messi Nets a Hat-Trick, Mbappe's Slip
Infantino says he has wide support for 48-team World Cup in Qatar in favour of expanding the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams. Infantino said a decision would be made by March, although it
Soccer: Infantino says he has wide support for 48-team World
Chelsea are braced for a partial stadium closure in the Europa League after UEFA officially launched an investigation into alleged racist chanting by supporters during the club's 2-2 draw at MOL
Chelsea face partial closure of Stamford Bridge if UEFA finds
Europe's small-cap stockmarkets A bigger pool for minnows. New calls for a pan-European exchange to boost small and mid-sized companies Published since September 1843 to take part in "a
Minnow Baltimore - SBIC - Baltimore, MD - Yelp
Football News: Christian Eriksen's 88th-minute goal finally broke Brighton and Hove Albion's brave resistance to give Tottenham Hotspur a precious 1-0 victory on Tue late goal secures precious
Soccer: Eriksen's late goal secures precious win for
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp says his team have shown they are mentally equipped to handle a title run-in, having acquitted themselves well in high-pressure situations over the past few years.
Klopp dismisses talk of Liverpool crumbling under pressure
0 comments:
Post a Comment