“After finishing the match my routine is always quick, shake hands.
I was waiting. Of course (Arteta) was happy.
I decided to go inside.
I can’t wait forever. It’s cold outside.”
Unai Emery," I can't wait to shake hands with arteta because it was cold ." 🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/jm1ITAW3Jy
— GLÖK (@GLOKS14j) December 30, 2025
Unai Emery said in his post-match press conference that he didn’t shake Mikel Arteta’s hand because he was left waiting by the Arsenal manager…
Chatting shit as per usual. pic.twitter.com/JXl9ARhXUU
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) December 31, 2025
Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has firmly rejected claims that he deliberately snubbed Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta after full-time in Tuesday’s Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium. Villa’s 11-game winning streak was emphatically snapped as Arsenal scored four second-half goals through Gabriel Magalhães, Martín Zubimendi, Leandro Trossard, and Gabriel Jesus to secure a 4-1 victory and open a five-point lead at the top. The incident occurred when Emery was seen rushing down the tunnel immediately after the final whistle, bypassing the customary post-match handshake. Addressing the apparent snub, Emery adamantly explained, “Yes, but it’s simple. You can watch. After [finishing] the match, always my routine is quick, shake hands and go with my coaches, with my players, or go to the dressing room. And I was waiting, I was waiting. Of course, he was happy and he was with his coaches and I decided to go inside. But for me, no problem.”
Arteta, who was seen waiting by the touchline, downplayed the incident, confirming it was not a point of contention. “No, that’s OK. That’s part of the game, not an issue at all,” the Arsenal manager told a news conference. This marks the second consecutive match between the sides at the Emirates where the managers did not exchange handshakes, following a similar occurrence after Villa’s win in December 2023. Ollie Watkins grabbed a late consolation for Villa, but the damage had been done by Arsenal’s dominant second-half display.
🚨 Crazy scenes as Mikel Arteta looked for Unai Emery for a full time hand shake at #EmiratesStadium but he disappeared
That's unprofessional from Unai
WHTF 😸 pic.twitter.com/bHAClKp8J3— AfcTrickishboi (@HyginusEke5736) December 30, 2025