Emery has a reason! Emery explains why he did not shake hands with Arteta after Arsenal crushed Aston Villa 4-1, ending their 11-match winning streak across all competitions.
On 31 Dec 2025 GMT+7, Unai Emery, Aston Villa's head coach, became a topic of discussion after he refused to shake hands with Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's manager, following the game where the "Gunners" defeated Villa 4-1 at Emirates Stadium. Emery chose to head straight to the tunnel immediately after the final whistle without waiting for Arteta, who was celebrating the victory with his coaching staff.
Emery, who was booed by Arsenal fans during his return to the club he once managed, insisted he had no issue with Arteta. He explained that the cold weather was too harsh to stand around waiting to shake hands.
Emery said, "After the match, I usually shake hands quickly with the opposing coach and then lead my team to the dressing room. I stood waiting, but he was celebrating and with his staff, so I decided to go in first. For me, there's no problem if the other party doesn't follow the same timing; I can't just stand and wait."
He added to Sky Sports, "I couldn't wait. It was cold."
When asked about the handshake incident, Arteta briefly replied, "Okay, everything is fine."