MIKEL ARTETA is 90 minutes away from leading his Arsenal side to a third successive second-place finish in the Premier League – but the Spaniard is BANNED from the touchline today.
Many tipped the Gunners to finally get their hands on the title after Manchester City’s awful start to the 2024/25 campaign.
AFPMikel Arteta has faced disciplinary action before[/caption]
But instead, it was Dutchman Arne Slot who would capitalise by leading Liverpool to their 20th Prem crown in what turned out to be a sensational debut season.
And things could have gone from bad to worse as Arsenal were in danger of slipping out of the top five Champions League spots with a tough schedule ahead of them.
However, a hard-fought 2-2 draw with champions Liverpool and a crucial 1-0 win over Newcastle confirmed their spot in club football’s elite competition for next season.
Furthermore, barring an absolute travesty, the Gunners will finish second once again but boss Arteta will be gutted that he can’t say goodbye to the fans for this season.
Why is Mikel Arteta banned from the touchline?
Mikel Arteta is banned from the touchline this afternoon as he picked up his third yellow card of the season during last weekend’s win against Newcastle.
The Spaniard was booked after kicking the ball away late on.
And assistant Albert Stuivenberg will take charge in the Arsenal boss’s absence.
Arteta won’t mind too much after his side all-but-sealed a second-place finish.
A super strike from Declan Rice saw the Gunners beat Newcastle to the runners-up spot while also cementing a place in next season’s Champions League.
Who is Albert Stuivenberg?
Albert Stuivenberg is the current assistant manager of Arsenal, having been at the club since December 2019.
Stuivenberg was born in Rotterdam, Holland in August 1970, making him 51 years old.
The Dutchman is nicknamed ‘AirPod Albert’ for his wearing of the headphones on the touchline during games.
An injury brought his playing career to an early halt after spells at SC Telstar and HFC Haarlem before he moved into coaching with Feyenoord and then the Holland Under-17 and Under-21 teams.
Stuivenberg was appointed Louis van Gaal’s assistant coach at Manchester United in 2014 alongside assistant manager Ryan Giggs.
After he departed United in 2016 following Van Gaal’s dismissal, Stuivenberg again linked up with Giggs to become Wales’ assistant manager under the former winger in 2018.
Stuivenberg was still Wales assistant in addition to his Arsenal role up until July of 2021.
But his sole focus is now on the Gunners after leaving the Welsh set-up after their Euro 2020 campaign.
Premier League table
Creator – [#item_custom_dc:creator]
