Mikel Arteta sees little margin for error if Arsenal are to become champions
Arsenal fans have been left furious with Albert Sambi Lokonga after spotting the midfielder walking straight down the tunnel at the final whistle in their defeat to Manchester City. The Gunners suffered a narrow 1-0 loss in the FA Cup fourth round at the Etihad Stadium and it appears Lokonga was not keen on sticking around for any longer than he had to.
The 23-year-old was brought on at half-time as a replacement for the injured Thomas Partey after initially being left out of the starting XI by Mikel Arteta, despite many expecting him to start the game as the Spaniard made six changes.
But the Belgian struggled to acquaint himself in the game and attracted criticism for his performance, with reports that the Arsenal man was booed during the encounter. Captain Martin Odegaard was also seen shouting at his team-mate for failing to position himself correctly when defending in the second half.
City found the winner late on through Nathan Ake after the Dutchman found the bottom corner with a well-placed effort, sending Arteta's much-changed Arsenal side out of the competition. And while most Arsenal players stayed on the pitch to thank the 8,000 travelling fans for their support, Lokonga was singled out after footage emerged of the ex-Anderlecht man after the final whistle.
The central midfielder appeared to walk straight down the tunnel instead of remaining out on the field with the rest of his team-mates.
And his actions are only likely to anger an Arsenal fanbase who have been frustrated with his performances since his £17million switch in 2021.
One user, @SteviestStevie, tweeted: "Terrible attitude, not good enough. Don’t wanna see him play for Arsenal ever again."
@BTECViking wrote: "I hope to god Mikel gave Lokonga and absolute grilling at full time. Not even a thank you to the fans. Terrible player, terrible attitude. Always gets given a chance and time after time he proves that he’s not good enough."
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Albert Sambi Lokonga: The Belgian walked straight down the tunnel (Image: Twitter/@TheClockEnd)
Arsenal: While Lokonga went down the tunnel, the Gunners' players stayed on the pitch (Image: Twitter/@TheClockEnd)
But another fan, @arsene_knows, stuck up for Lokonga and said: "People watched 30 seconds of a documentary featuring Sambi Lokonga, watched him play for the first time in months away at the champions and are all over him like he committed a murder."
Arteta has made a point of instructing his players to display their gratitude to their away fans, who would have deserved a show of appreciation after making the trip to Manchester on a Friday evening. And for Lokonga to walk off suggests there may be some doubts over his future at the club.
Arsenal have already had one £60m bid for Brighton starlet Moises Caicedo rejected in the transfer window, with Arteta keen to strengthen his midfield options.
Should the Ecuadorian arrive, it would only push Lokonga further down the pecking order behind Partey, Granit Xhaka and Mohamed Elneny after his disappointing spell in north London so far.
