Mikel Arteta gives Myles Lewis-Skelly celebration verdict

The Arsenal manager has provided his view on Myles Lewis-Skelly provocatively responding to Erling Haaland last February.

Mikel Arteta has broken his silence on Myles Lewis-Skelly’s controversial celebration during Arsenal’s emphatic 5-1 victory over Manchester City last season. The Arsenal manager addressed the incident ahead of Sunday’s highly anticipated clash between the two title challengers at the Emirates Stadium.

Lewis-Skelly sparked widespread debate when he mimicked Erling Haaland’s signature meditation celebration after scoring his first senior goal for the Gunners. The 18-year-old defender’s provocative gesture came in response to Haaland’s taunts during a brawl, where the Norwegian striker asked him “who the f*** are you?” in a stormy 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium earlier in the campaign.

When asked ahead of Sunday’s game, Arteta explained: “That was done, that’s it, that’s part of it,” he started. “There have been a lot of celebrations or non-celebrations in the past from a lot of teams. The experience is to learn and grow as well and we certainly learnt from that.”

The rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester City has intensified significantly over recent seasons, with both clubs competing fiercely for Premier League supremacy. The relationship between the players became particularly strained following their September encounter, where Haaland threw a ball at Gabriel Magalhães’ head during City’s late equaliser celebrations.

Lewis-Skelly’s goal celebration became one of the defining moments of Arsenal’s comprehensive victory over Pep Guardiola’s side. The young defender, who joined Arsenal’s academy at the age of nine, was joined by fellow youngster Ethan Nwaneri in scoring.

The celebration gained additional attention when Lewis-Skelly doubled down on social media, posting an image of himself performing the gesture with the caption “keep it humble” on Instagram. This referenced Haaland’s comment to the Arsenal boss at full-time of the draw last September.

The upcoming encounter between Arsenal and Manchester City carries significant importance for both teams’ title aspirations. Arsenal currently sit in a strong position in the Premier League table, whilst City have endured an inconsistent start to their campaign, losing two of their opening three matches before recovering with victories over Manchester United and in the Champions League against Napoli.

Sunday’s fixture at the Emirates Stadium promises to be another chapter in this increasingly hostile rivalry. With both teams looking to establish early dominance in the title race, the match represents a crucial opportunity for Arsenal to build on their impressive recent form against their Manchester counterparts.