One of the most telling contributions came at the final whistle when Mikel Arteta went over to applaud the Arsenal supporters and put his left arm around Reiss Nelson’s shoulder, offering the youngster a lengthy pep talk. Arteta seemed to have taken his lead from Pep Guardiola, his former boss who often gives similar encouragement to Raheem Sterling at Manchester City. Nelson, a 20-year-old winger, had played a part in helping Arsenal level when his shot deflected into the path of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored with their first shot on target. Arteta clapped the Arsenal fans and they responded with a loud cheer, the first time they had acknowledged their new head coach all afternoon. It was a sign that the disharmony among the fans,…

Source: The Times December 26, 2019 18:00 UTC