‘It’s cold outside’: Unai Emery jokingly downplays missed handshake with Mikel Arteta after Arsenal vs Villa

Unai Emery and Mikel Arteta during the Arsenal vs Aston Villa match on Tuesday. (AP)

The Arsenal vs Aston Villa encounter on Tuesday ended with a dash of controversy when Villa manager Unai Emery left the field without engaging in the customary post-match handshake with counterpart Mikel Arteta. However, Emery, a former Arsenal coach, downplayed the issue, joking that it was cold outside so he couldn’t wait for a handshake.

“After the match, always my routine is quick — shake hands ​and go with my coaches, with my players, or go to the dressing room. And I was waiting, and waiting. Of ‌course, he was happy and he was with his coaches and I ‌decided to go inside. It’s cold outside. But for me, it’s not a problem,” he said.

Arteta also said that there was no issue following the match. “No, that’s OK. That’s part ⁠of the game, not an issue at all,” he said.

Unai Emery,” I can’t wait to shake hands with arteta because it was cold .” 🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/jm1ITAW3Jy

— GLÖK (@GLOKS14j) December 30, 2025

Arsenal closed out 2025 in emphatic fashion, smashing third-placed Aston Villa 4-1 on Tuesday to surge five points clear at the top of the Premier League. At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal slammed the door shut on charging Villa, ending their club-record winning run of 11 games.

Goals by Gabriel Magalhaes and Martin Zubimendi early in the ‍second half ⁠gave Arsenal control of a game that had looked fraught with danger. Gabriel bundled in the opener from a corner in the 48th minute before Martin Odegaard slid a pass through for Zubimendi to score four minutes later. Arsenal secured the points when Leandro Trossard fired home from the edge of the area before Gabriel Jesus came off the bench to add the fourth. Ollie Watkins grabbed a consolation goal for ​Villa in stoppage time.

Arsenal top ​the standings with 45 points, while second-placed Manchester City can close the gap when they play at Sunderland on Thursday. Villa are six points adrift of Arsenal.