Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, was visibly furious with three of his players during the club’s 1 0 Champions League victory over Napoli on Wednesday night.
The Gunners began their European campaign with an impressive win in Italy, continuing the strong form that saw them win all eight of their league phase matches last season.
Despite dominating possession and creating several opportunities, Arsenal struggled to convert their chances and appeared at risk of dropping points.
Martin Odegaard eventually broke the deadlock in the 75th minute, scoring the decisive goal to secure all three points for the Premier League champions.
However, Arteta was left frustrated by the failure of some of his players to maintain their defensive discipline as Napoli pushed forward late in the game.
TNT Sports co commentator Lucy Ward observed the Arsenal manager shouting at Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Christos Tzolis during a Napoli counterattack.
“Mikel Arteta was absolutely furious on the sidelines that Havertz, Madueke and Tzolis weren’t recovering after that attack,” Ward said.
She noted that the three Arsenal players appeared to walk back rather than quickly recover their defensive positions after the attack had ended.
“It was quite notable. As the Arsenal attack concluded, those three seemed to stroll back, and Mikel Arteta sprinted down the sidelines, shouting at them to get back into position,” she added.
Arsenal have now won all five of their opening matches of the 2026 27 season, following their Champions League victory over Napoli.
The Gunners reached the Champions League final last season and also secured the Premier League title, with Arteta now demanding continued discipline as they pursue further success this campaign.
