“I have a message for the Toffees fans present today”- Mikel Arteta pays emotional tribute to Goodison Park as Arsenal boss shows class despite frustration in what has gotr Everton fans applauding him
Mikel Arteta speaks after Everton’s Premier League clash with Arsenal at Goodison Park
Mikel Arteta paid a classy tribute to Goodison Park following his final visit to the ground but there was no room for sentiment from the Arsenal manager over insisting that the penalty for Everton’s equaliser should not have been given.
Leandro Trossard fired the Gunners in front in the first half but the Blues earned a share of the spoils shortly after the break when Iliman Ndiaye held his nerve from 12 yards out after Myles Lewis-Skelly was adjudged by Darren England to have brought down Jack Harrison.
Arteta was unhappy over the awarding of the spot-kick though and said: “I think we deserved more but that’s what we got at the end. It’s a really tough place to come.
“What Everton do, they do it really well. They are constantly putting the balls into the last line and we’re dealing with direct play and second actions but didn’t concede anything in the game, which was really positive as we were one-nil up and had some big opportunities, getting into spaces.
“In the second half, I wanted us to be more aggressive and have more spaces, but we did the opposite and gave the ball away, direct play – trouble – and the referee decides to give a penalty that changes the course of the game.
“I’m here to give my opinion, and after seeing it 15 times, there’s no way, in my opinion, that’s a penalty, because if it is, then O’Brien has to be out and Everton has to play with 10 men, that’s clear.”
Arteta, who having been signed by David Moyes in 2005, made 209 appearances for the Blues, scoring 34 goals, became the first ex-player to go head-to-head as a manager against his former Everton boss since Peter Reid took on Howard Kendall in 1993, was more charitable about the ground where he became a fan favourite on Merseyside.
He said: “I think the Premier League has got a reputation all over the world for places like Goodison Park. I think that makes the Premier League unique.
“It’s going to be very strange (Everton not playing there). I understand the evolution of football and a football club, but this is very much part of the history of this league.
