Arsenal vs Aston Villa, PL 2023-24: Mikel Arteta makes bold claim on touchline ban against Aston Villa

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has found an optimistic angle after his touchline ban against Aston Villa on Saturday (December 9).

Arsenal registered a dramatic victory over Luton Town in the last match, which saw a 97th-minute winner from Declan Rice providing them the three points. It was delirium on the pitch and Mikel Arteta's emotional celebration with his staff earned him a Yellow Card as well.

With his third Yellow Card of the season, the Gunners boss now will have to sit out for the Aston Villa match as he is banned from the touchline. But Arteta believes his absence at the bench may galvanize the players to exert a better result.

"Hopefully they will play better, they will be more positive, and I can influence them with my positive mind! We have very experienced coaches; Albert [Stuivenberg], Carlos [Cuesta] and Nico [Jover] will be there next to them, and we've done it in the past from home so let's do it now," Arteta said in the pre-match press conference on Friday.

The Gunners boss admitted his mistake in the Luton Town match and says it was the emotion which exuberated in a fashion which was overboard, and it will cost him at the Villa Park.

"It was a really emotional moment. You have everybody bouncing around and you lose sense of where you are, and the space that you have to be in. It was unfortunate because now I cannot be next to my team on the touchline but it is a decision that they have made. If you look strictly at the rules, yes we cannot do that, but the context is different," the Arsenal boss added.

Aston Villa are in excellent form this season under the tutelage of former Arsenal manager Unai Emery. They currently sit 3rd in the table and will be hoping to showcase their prowess against the league leaders from North London.

Arteta will monitor the match from the Director's Box at Villa Park, but says he may celebrate his team's victory if it demands.

"In the director's box, I don't think so! Never say never, because the game can get very emotional, but I will try not to do that," he concluded.