‘Personally’… Gary Lineker now delivers his verdict on Mikel Arteta’s behaviour so far this season

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Both Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have defended Mikel Arteta for how animated the Arsenal boss can get on the touchline.

The way Mikel Arteta conducts himself in the technical area remains under the microscope. Arteta was booked once again on Sunday as Arsenal beat Brighton at the Emirates.

The Spaniard’s passion for the game can hardly be questioned. And you would certainly be left in absolutely no doubt at all about how the Gunners boss is feeling at any stage during a game.

Gary Lineker and Micah Richards defend Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta

Arteta has come in for criticism for picking up another yellow card for his protests on the touchline. But both Gary Lineker and Micah Richards see little issue with the Arsenal boss venting his frustration with decisions from the side.

“He does get carried away on the touchline doesn’t he? I don’t mind that personally,” Lineker said, on The Rest Is Football.

“I just love it, I think there is a fine line and I think he is teetering on that line a little bit but he knows he has got to be at his absolute best to win this Premier League,” Richards replied.

“All those who doubted him when he came first and won the FA Cup and then there was Arteta out after that but he has slowly built a really good, organised, solid team who can score goals as well.”

Gunners boss looking to create siege mentality

Mikel Arteta will know what he is doing. He seems to have done brilliantly to convince the fans and the players that plenty are against Arsenal.

Whether it is true or not does not really matter. All that really matters is that it creates a unity throughout the club that makes the Gunners such a force to deal with.

It would have been easy for Arsenal fans to turn on Kai Havertz, for example, after his slow start to life at the Emirates. But Arteta managed the Havertz situation brilliantly. And Arsenal are now reaping the rewards.

Of course, his antics are going to annoy rival fans. But Arteta probably does not care at all what others make of him.

All that matters is doing everything he can to get Arsenal across the line in their quest for more silverware in the coming years.