During a heated North London derby friendly between Arsenal and Tottenham, tempers flared when Spurs defender Pedro Porro shoved Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. The incident occurred around the 59th minute. With Porro attempting to take a throw-in near the Arsenal dugout, Arteta gestured to officials, seemingly disputing the throw-in location. Arteta was suggesting that Porro was too far beyond where the ball went out.
Annoyed by Arteta's protests, Porro shoved the Arsenal boss to clear space and continue play. Arteta appeared ready to retaliate, stepping toward Porro, but the fourth official quickly intervened to separate them before the situation escalated.
The confrontation sparked a reaction online, with many fans criticizing Arteta for overstepping his bounds. Some fans online had harsh words for Arteta. One user wrote, "Arteta always trying to be the main man… get back in your box". Another user slammed Arteta, calling him an "insufferable pr*ck". Other fans praised Porro for the incident.
Mikel Arteta often stands outside of his technical area, and Pedro Porro wanted to take the throw-in. Porro wanted the full run of the touchline, and with Arteta in the way, he shoved the Arsenal boss to get him out of the way. The referee allowed Porro to proceed, preventing further escalation.
The incident added an unexpected edge to the pre-season friendly, which was otherwise intended as a warm-up match before the start of the new Premier League season.
