"Arsene Wenger would never have behaved in such a manner" – Pundit slams Mikel Arteta for what he did during final seconds of Arsenal's win over Fulham

Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Garth Crooks has slammed Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta for wasting time in the dying moments of his team's 2-1 win over Fulham at the Emirates Stadium on August 27.

The Gunners registered their best start to a Premier League campaign since 2004 after notching up their fourth win in a row on Saturday. After Aleksandar Mitrovic opened the scoring, the north London outfit bounced back with goals from Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Magalhaes.

With the win, Arsenal continued their perfect start to the season, leading holders Manchester City by two points after four matches.

In his 'Team of the Week' column on the BBC, Crooks opined on how Arteta handled himself towards the end of the contest. He compared the Spaniard's behavior to that of two former bosses. He wrote:

"The headline after Saturday's win was 'How Arteta is turning Arsenal into contenders'. My only problem with that statement is I didn't like the way the Arsenal manager went about it against Fulham."

He continued:

"With the final seconds ticking away, and the visitors chasing an equaliser, I was hopping with fury to see Mikel Arteta watch the ball roll off the pitch into the technical area, pick it up and then throw it away as the Fulham player was racing to get it back into play."

Crooks added:

"Managers should never touch the ball unless they intend to hand it back to the player. Bertie Mee or Arsene Wenger would never have behaved in such a manner – and they have won titles."

Arteta, who was appointed as the manager of his former club in 2019, has helped the Gunners lift two trophies. He guided the club to the 2019-20 FA Cup trophy and the 2020 Community Shield crown.

Arsenal will next lock horns with Aston Villa at home on August 31, hoping to continue their perfect start to their league campaign.

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Alan Hutton tips Leicester City's Youri Tielemans to succeed at Arsenal

Speaking to Football Insider, former Tottenham defender Alan Hutton claimed that Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans would improve the Gunners this summer. He said:

"I think he adds quality. It's not about bringing in another number. I think he makes the team better. He will be a big signing for Arsenal. He'll have his eyes on playing week in, week out and I think he can do that there."

He added:

"No disrespect to Leicester, but he’ll have better players around him, and he can flourish at Emirates. He's a fantastic footballer."

Tielemans, who is in the final year of his contract at the King Power Stadium, has registered 24 goals and as many assists in 163 appearances for the Foxes. The Belgian, who joined the Foxes from AS Monaco in 2019, helped his team win the 2020-21 FA Cup.