‘Control freak’ – Mikel Arteta told he is making Arsenal worse after Liverpool draw

Peter Schmeichel believes that Mikel Arteta’s ‘control-freak’ attitude may be hampering his players after watching the Arsenal boss in action at Anfield.

Arteta cut a extremly frustrated frustrated figure at full-time on Sunday despite the Gunners producing a rousing second-half comeback to draw 2-2 with Liverpool.

The Premier League champions raced into a two-goal lead after goals from Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz as Arne Slot’s side played at home for the first time since being crowned champions.

But the Reds were stung in the second half, as goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Mikel Merino salvaged a point for Arsenal, who held on well in the closing stages after Merino was sent off following a second yellow card.

Despite that comeback, Arteta was left visibly fuming by his side’s capitalution in the game’s early stages.

‘What we did in the first half, the first 20 minutes was nowhere near the level,’ he told Sky Sports post-match.

‘So to do it after, it’s too late. We reacted, great. But those 20 minutes were unacceptable. It’s about action, not reaction.’

Schmeichel, however, feels that Arteta should bear some of the responsibility for Arsenal’s performance at Anfield.

And the former Manchester United goalkeeper believes the Spaniard’s demeanour and methods could actually be making Arsenal worse in the long run.

‘It’s all on Arteta, all. What I’m saying is, he was employed as head coach. He inherited the team and that team is the only team that he has won a trophy with,’ Schmeichel told ViaPlay.

‘Then it’s his own team and then in the process, he’s now changed the job description so he’s now the manager. Everything is on him. It’s not recruitment, it’s not the board.

‘Whenever they [fans] get the opportunity today, watch him in the technical area. Arteta is a control freak, he wants his players to play the ball that he wants. He’s directing everything.

‘You look across to Arne Slot who’s so calm. He’s instructed his players in training, instructed the players in the team talk.

‘Arteta is still playing the game for the players and that would confuse the hell out of me as a football player that you had a coach that wants to direct me for everything I do. It would confuse me and make me a worse player.’

Carragher questions Arteta’s temperament

Schmeichel was not the only pundit to raise concerns with Arteta’s demeanour, with Jamie Carragher suggesting the Spaniard has begun acting more like a fan than a manager with some of his post-match comments.

‘He’s driving high standards but what really stood out in the interview, and in the last couple of weeks in his press conferences, is that he’s getting emotional and at times he’s sounding a little bit like a fan, not the manager,’he said on Sky Sport.

“He was really strong on how many players they’ve had sent off this season. He’s putting his hands up saying six.

‘I think he’s convinced inside that they have been victims in some ways, with the sendings off and injuries they have had.’

‘I think deep down he thinks they could have won the league without this and that. There’s no doubt they would be a lot closer but the sendings-off are down to you.’

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