Unai Emery revealed he didn’t shake hands with any members of the Arsenal coaching team after Aston Villa ‘s huge 1-0 win because Mikel Arteta was absent.

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Due to a recent FA punishment, the manager of the Gunners was barred from the touchline for Saturday night’s game at Villa Park. As a result, he was only able to watch from the executive boxes above as his team lost to midfielder John McGinn’s early first-half goal.

Before being fired in November 2019 and being replaced by Arteta, Emery led Arsenal for eighteen months. In the aftermath, he acknowledged that he had not shook hands with Arsenal’s coaching staff because Arteta had left the stadium shortly before the final whistle, but he maintained that there was no animosity between the two benches.

Emery, who instead soaked in the celebrations with fans at the final whistle, was asked about handshakes and explained: “No, because Arteta wasn’t on the bench. I gave my hand to the workers inside because they were there when I was there, but only with the people I coached with and who worked with me.”

He continued: “There was nothing personal. It was because it wasn’t Arteta. I respect a lot Arsenal and Arteta. I respect a lot the workers there. I have nothing negative against them.”

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Villa’s big win against Arsenal comes just days after Emery’s side beat Premier League champions Manchester City in style. They are now just two points off the summit themselves, sparking suggestions they could challenge for the title in the coming months.