Unai Emery explains viral ‘no handshake’ moment with Arteta

Unai Emery has played down the viral “no handshake” moment with Mikel Arteta after Arsenal’s emphatic 4-1 win over Aston Villa, insisting the incident was nothing more than a misunderstanding — and not a sign of tension between the two managers.

While Arsenal’s dominant victory over Aston Villa brought Villa’s 11-game winning streak to an end, much of the post-match discussion quickly shifted away from the football and towards what happened — or appeared not to happen — on the touchline at full-time.

As the final whistle blew at the Emirates Stadium, Sky Sports’ cameras cut to the technical area. Mikel Arteta was seen looking around, seemingly expecting to exchange the customary handshake with his opposite number.

However, Unai Emery was already heading down the tunnel.

Arteta’s brief look of confusion was quickly picked up by viewers and circulated widely on social media, with speculation swirling about a possible rift between the two former colleagues.

Emery addressed the situation directly when asked about it in his post-match interview with Sky Sports, offering a calm and matter-of-fact explanation.

“I was waiting for him but he was with his coaches,” Emery said. “Always, my routine is go to the opponent coach first, shake hands and then go inside or with my coaches. But firstly, always is to go with the opponent coach.

“If he’s not doing the same rule, I cannot wait. Then nothing happened.”

The Villa boss was keen to stress that there was no bad blood involved — and certainly no lingering issue stemming from the result.

When pressed on whether he was unhappy with Arteta, Emery was emphatic in dismissing the idea.

“No, no, no. I am so happy,” he said. “Okay, even losing today, overall I am happy with the way and with everything happening. Congratulations to Arsenal.”

Asked one final time if there were any issues at all between the pair, Emery again shut down the narrative — adding a light-hearted explanation for his swift exit.

“Not for me,” he reiterated. “But I cannot wait because it was cold!”

The explanation appears to put the matter to rest. Rather than a snub or a sign of friction, the “no handshake” moment was simply a case of mistimed routines at the final whistle — with Emery expecting Arteta to be available immediately, and Arteta momentarily occupied with his staff.

In short, no feud, no fallout — just a cold evening, a heavy defeat, and a viral clip taken out of context.

With Arsenal making a major statement in the title race and Aston Villa still firmly in the mix near the top, attention will soon return to matters on the pitch. As for the handshake? Emery’s verdict was clear: nothing to see here.

Did the viral moment look worse than it really was, or are touchline optics always bound to spark debate?