Sports commentator Richard Keys criticised Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta's passionate celebrations at the end of his team's come-from-behind 2-1 win over Fulham at the Emirates in the Premier League on Saturday (August 27).
The Gunners hosted the newly promoted side looking to make it four wins from four but found themselves a goal down in the second half. However, they mounted a solid comeback in the last quarter to take a 2-1 win, including a late winner from Gabriel Magalhaes, who was at fault for Fulham's goal.
With the home crowd screaming their support vociferously, the last few minutes made for a tension-filled atmosphere at the Emirates. The final whistle relieved a lot of tension and helped Arsenal maintain their perfect start to the season.
A passionate Gunners team and their manager were seen celebrating their hard-fought win passionately on the pitch. That, however, did not go down well with Keys, who told BeIN sports (reported via HITC):
“Look at the manager. You’re joking! They’re over celebrating this. It’s a 2-1 win against newly promoted Fulham. I don’t understand this. They’ve won nothing. I can’t hide the fact I find him extremely irritating, waving his arms around like a windmill for 90 minutes, as if anybody can hear him.”
The defeat at the Emirates was Fulham's first in the Premier League this season. They have drawn against Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers and beat Brentford.
Arsenal show resilience with comeback win against Fulham
The first three games of the league season saw Arsenal express their class on the pitch. They won 2-0 against Crystal Palace, 4-2 against Leicester City and 4-0 against Bournemouth.
On Saturday, the Gunners were required to dig deep. They went a goal down bur responded splendidly. They stuck to their gameplan and seemed confident of mounting a comeback, which they eventually did. With the win, the Gunners remain two points clear of holders Manchester City (10).
A tension-filled victory will do wonders for their confidence as a long season awaits Mikel Arteta's troops. The Gunners will next host Aston Villa on Wednesday (August 30) night before travelling to Manchester United on Sunday (September 4).