Mikel Arteta has made it clear that Arsenal will not allow last season’s touchline controversy to distract them when they return to Brighton.
The Arsenal manager knows there was plenty of tension the last time the two sides met, but he insists that the incident is now firmly in the past.
Arteta explained that Fabian apologised after what happened and that the two men also spoke about the situation. As far as the Arsenal boss is concerned, there is no reason to continue dwelling on it.
“I know what happened last time, but I don’t think about it anymore,” Arteta said.
“Fabian apologised, we spoke, and for me that’s finished.”
However, Arteta knows Saturday’s game will bring a completely different challenge.
Arsenal will be travelling to Brighton’s stadium, where they can expect a difficult atmosphere from the home supporters. The Brighton fans will be desperate to get behind their team, while every decision made by the referee could come under serious scrutiny.
But rather than being concerned about the hostile environment, Arteta appears to see it as part of what makes football special.
The Arsenal manager admitted that he actually enjoys these types of matches.
Going into an opponent’s stadium with the crowd against you can test a team’s character. Every tackle matters, every decision can lead to an argument and even something as simple as a corner can become a moment of tension.
Arteta wants his players to understand that this is all part of the game.
More importantly, he does not want them to become distracted by it.
His instructions to the Arsenal squad are simple: stay focused and concentrate on the football.
The players have been told not to react to the crowd, the opposition or the referee. Instead, they must keep their emotions under control and focus on executing their game plan.
That could prove important because matches like this can quickly become difficult when players allow themselves to get dragged into unnecessary confrontations.
Arteta believes Arsenal have an opportunity to show how much they have developed as a team.
If they can remain calm, control the game and maintain their concentration despite the pressure from the stands, it would demonstrate an important level of maturity.
The manager also made it clear that Arsenal are not travelling to Brighton looking for revenge over what happened last season.
For him, that chapter has already been closed.
This is a new match, a new challenge and another opportunity for Arsenal to show their progress.
Brighton will obviously be determined to make things uncomfortable for the visitors, but Arteta appears ready for exactly that kind of battle.
The Arsenal boss wants his players to embrace the atmosphere rather than allow it to affect their performance.
Ultimately, the message from Arteta is straightforward.
Forget what happened last season.
Ignore the noise.
Stay disciplined.
And most importantly, play football.
If Arsenal can do that at Brighton, Arteta will hope his team can leave the stadium having shown exactly how much they have changed.
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