UCL: Mikel Arteta seen raging at three Arsenal stars during 1-0 win over Napoli
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta expressed frustration with three players during the club’s Champions League victory over Napoli on Wednesday night.
After establishing a perfect record in last season’s European league phase, winning all eight matches, Arsenal began this season’s campaign successfully with a 1-0 win against Napoli in Italy.
Despite dominating much of the match, Arsenal struggled to capitalize on their opportunities until Martin Odegaard scored the decisive goal in the 75th minute. Following the game, Arteta returned to north London in high spirits but was reportedly “extremely angry” with players Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke, and Christos Tzolis for failing to adequately defend as the match drew to a close.
Late in the game, Arsenal missed a chance to extend their lead. Lucy Ward, co-commentator for TNT Sports, noted that Arteta was vocally urging the three players to track back as Napoli launched a counterattack.
“Mikel Arteta was absolutely furious on the sidelines that Havertz, Madueke, and Tzolis weren’t recovering after that attack,” Ward said. “It was quite notable. As the Arsenal attack concluded, those three seemed to stroll back, and Mikel Arteta sprinted down the sidelines, shouting at them to get back into position.”
With this win, Arsenal has secured victories in all five of their opening matches of the 2026-27 season, following a strong performance last season that saw them reach the Champions League final and capture the Premier League title.
