What Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta did to anger Tottenham fans during the North London Derby

Mikel Arteta was able to get under the skin of the Tottenham Hotspur faithful on Sunday. 

There is a fierce and long-standing rivalry between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Gunners were able to gain bragging rights over their neighbours with a 1-0 victory in the North London Derby this afternoon.

The match itself was a typically feisty affair, with eight yellow cards dealt out by referee Jarred Gillett.

There was also a hostile atmosphere inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which cranked up a notch every time something went in favour of the visitors.

At one stage, Mikel Arteta was able to inspire an outcry of derision from the home supporters.

How Mikel Arteta infuriated Tottenham Hotspur fans

Arteta has a reputation for being animated on the touchline. His pitch-side antics have landed him in hot water before.

Broadcaster Richard Keys has criticised Arteta in the past, taking issue with the manager’s habit of exceeding the limits of his technical area.

Keys presents matchday coverage on beIN Sports.

beIN Sports posted an image on their official X account from today’s match, showing Arteta stretching out of his technical area to reach the ball, seemingly handling it before it even entirely left the field of play.

The beIN Sports account noted: “Richard Keys often says that Mikel Arteta is out of his technical box… He literally stops the ball going out here!”

The Tottenham fans who spotted the infraction in the stadium will have been enraged, those who saw this image later will feel bitter that Arteta was able to get away with the action without any kind of punishment.

The challenge Arsenal and Arteta faced in the North London Derby

It is perhaps no surprise that Arteta was especially animated during this game.

Not only is the rivalry between the clubs able to provide plenty of fuel for anxiety and nerves in and of itself, but Arteta was also sleep deprived heading into this fixture. The Spanish coach has admitted that the injury crisis currently being endured by Arsenal has caused him sleepless nights.

Despite being without so many key players and in enemy territory, the Gunners were still able to claim all three points, and will now have the opportunity to take top spot in the Premier League table if they can beat Manchester City next weekend.