Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta were involved in a minor handshake controversy at the end of Arsenal's thumping win over Aston Villa on Tuesday (December 30).
Arsenal delivered a commanding second-half performance to defeat Aston Villa 4-1 at the Emirates Stadium, extending their lead at the Premier League summit to five points and ending Villa's remarkable 11-game winning streak in all competitions.
The Gunners, who entered the match as league leaders, avenged a 2-1 stoppage-time defeat to Villa just 24 days earlier. Mikel Arteta's side struggled in a tense first half but exploded after the break, scoring four goals to assert their title credentials heading into 2026.
Gabriel MagalhÃes opened the scoring shortly after halftime (47'), rising highest
to head home from a corner. MartÍn Zubimendi doubled the advantage four minutes later (51'), finishing clinically after a precise through ball from captain Martin Ødegaard. Leandro Trossard made it 3-0 in the 68th minute with a powerful strike from the edge of the box, before substitute Gabriel Jesus added a fourth (77') to seal the rout. Ollie Watkins pulled one back for Villa in stoppage time, but it was a resounding win for the Gunners.
Post-Match Handshake Controversy
The evening's talking point extended beyond the pitch, as Villa boss Unai Emery, Arteta's predecessor at Arsenal, headed straight down the tunnel at full-time without the customary handshake. Broadcast footage showed Arteta approaching the touchline for the exchange, only to find Emery already departing.
Some Arsenal fans labelled the move "classless" on social media, while pundit Jamie Carragher highlighted a potential double standard.
Emery later explained that he waited for Mikel Arteta but the Arsenal boss was celebrating with his own coaches, hence he left.
"I was waiting for him, but he was with his coaches. Always my routine is first to shake hands with opponent coach and then with my coaches. If he is not doing the same rule, I can't wait. It was cold. For me, it's no problem," Emery said after the match.
Unai post match 😭
- 🇳🇴 kimmoFC (@kimmoFC) December 30, 2025
So why didn't you shake hands with Arteta, Unai?
"I can't wait forever. It was cold".pic.twitter.com/FvdOHpQi7S
Arteta downplayed the incident, saying, "You saw it, but it's OK, it's all good. That's part of the game, not an issue at all. "
Both managers insisted there is no bad blood, framing it as a minor etiquette mishap rather than an ongoing rivalry.
Was Unai Emery really Waiting? Footage Reveals
But Unai's claims have proven to be nothing but a false one, as the footage from the sideline cam revealed the current Aston Villa manager didn't wait for a single second. Emery shook the hands of the fourth referee and headed straight into the tunnel.
🚨🔴‼️ Emery on why he didn’t shake Arteta’s hand after Villa’s loss 😂:
- Arsenal Zone (@ArsenalZNE) December 30, 2025
“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.” pic.twitter.com/xlLpTSBPCF
