Graham Scott: Mikel Arteta is the Premier League’s hardest manager to deal with on the touchline

Former English referee Graham Scott described Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta as the hardest manager he had dealt with while officiating matches. Speaking on The Athletic podcast, he said the Spanish coach constantly pushes the boundaries of acceptable behaviour on the touchline.

Scott said he understood managers’ desire to give their teams a competitive advantage, but added that Arteta’s movements outside the technical area made referees’ work difficult. He cited the Arsenal-Everton match, noting that Arteta moved towards the touchline when the ball came near his side.

Scott added that Arteta had sometimes escaped sanctions that should have been applied, and acknowledged that he was among the referees who had allowed it. Arteta was booked in Arsenal’s recent win over Everton, then questioned whether the rules governing the technical area were applied consistently, saying he had collected clips of opposing managers straying beyond their areas without receiving a similar sanction.