Mikel Arteta has walked out of another post-match interview, but this time he was only joking.
The Arsenal boss returned to his media duties following his side’s 1-0 win against London rivals Chelsea on Sunday.
Mikel Merino scored the only goal of the game with a first-half header to keep their slim hopes of Premier League glory alive.
It was yet another afternoon in which Bukayo Saka was missed whilst he still recovers from the hamstring injury he sustained in December.
Arsenal have been patiently waiting for his return to the starting XI, and Arteta has offered hope of this happening soon in jokey fashion.
“You mentioned the international break, Bukayo Saka, after the break, you talked positively about him,” said a Sky Sports reporter.
Arteta then pretended to run away, which sparked laughter from the interviewer, before swiftly returning with a slight grin.
“Has he got a chance?” the reporter asked him on Saka’s hopes of a return to action, with Arteta replying: “Yes, he’s got a good chance.”
Arteta was clearly much more upbeat this weekend compared to last.
He made a swift exit from his post-match interview after the 1-1 draw at Manchester United when asked about their title chances.
“I have to ask you about the title race because it’s 15 points now, is it too much?” Sky Sports reporter Patrick Davison asked him.
But Arteta wasn’t one to stick around any longer and before leaving, he said: “Alright, thank you.”
Arsenal simply got the job done against Chelsea to win for a 16th time in the Premier League this season.
Merino’s goal was enough to separate the two sides, although David Raya nearly handed the Blues an equaliser.
He failed to hold onto a volley from Marc Cucurella and allowed the ball to go through before watching it sneak past the post.
Luckily for him and Arsenal, that was about as close Chelsea were to scoring on the afternoon.
The Gunners are 12 points behind league leaders Liverpool with nine games left to play this season.
It would take a dramatic dip in form from the Reds to swing the title race in Arsenal’s favour during the final weeks though.
However, the return of Saka could inspire what would be an unlikely comeback for the north London outfit.
He could make his return to the side when they host Fulham on April 1 in their first game back from the international break.
