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Ex-Premier League official Graham Scott has named Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta as the most challenging manager to handle in English football.
There's no question that the Spanish tactician has achieved remarkable things at Arsenal, transforming the club from a struggling side when he arrived in 2019 to Premier League champions for the first time in more than two decades last season.
However, Arteta has also built a reputation as an intense and occasionally excessive presence on the touchline, never hesitating to voice his frustrations to officials, whether fourth officials, assistant referees, or the main referee. For this reason, Scott told The Athletic that Arteta is the "hardest work" of any Premier League manager.
"Well, the trite answer is: all of them when they're losing," Scott said when asked who's the most difficult manager to deal with. "The honest answer, I'm afraid—I know whatever I say at this point just gets me pelters—but it is Arteta. He is the hardest work.
"He constantly pushes every boundary, without exception. I don't necessarily mind that; he's seeking a competitive edge for his team. That's understandable. It's part of his role. And of course he's entitled to do it, and it's up to us to manage it, but he does make your job incredibly difficult.
"He's out of his technical area constantly. I watched him recently during Arsenal's match against Everton, and every time Everton had the ball anywhere near the touchline on his side, he was practically joining in the press himself. His toes were right on the line.
"As fourth official, it's a nightmare, because if you step in and address it, you come across as pedantic and petty. He does get away with far too much. Officials do need to be a little stricter. And I was one of those who let him get away with it. I won't deny that.
"But he was just hard work. Really, really hard work all the time in a way that others tended to be hard work some of the time."
Arteta Says It's His 'Duty' to Call Out Referees
Arteta's challenges to referees aren't limited to the touchline. In the past, he has branded refereeing displays as "a disgrace" and labeled others as "embarrassing" during post-match press conferences.
The Arsenal manager believes it is his responsibility to apply pressure on officials and stand up for the club whenever he feels it has been treated unjustly.
"It is my duty to be defending my players," Arteta said back in 2023. "Supporting my players, supporting my club, defending my people in the best possible way, and I do it time after time. And I do it not [through] the way I feel but with the evidence and being as clear as possible."
"We have a duty to express how we feel with the evidence that we have and the history of what happened," Arteta added. "We have to really stand for our people, our values and what we are."
Just weeks ago, Arteta expressed being "very disappointed" that the English FA refused to overturn Max Dowman's controversial Carabao Cup red card, a ruling he strongly opposed.
Arteta Aware He Can Take Things Too Far With Referees
That said, the Spanish manager has also acknowledged that he can occasionally go too far in his interactions with referees, and has previously revealed he is working to "change" his approach.
"Sometimes, when I look at myself and I'm so agitated, I think it can sometimes give an image that is not the best, mainly for the club," Arteta acknowledged in 2023. "Sometimes it's difficult with certain decisions when you are in the heat of the moment because you are representing the club, and you want to defend them. That's what drives me. It's to defend the players, to defend the club. Nothing else."
Arteta has also spoken out against the abuse of referees, particularly online, stating it must be stamped out because it "certainly damages our sport."
There's little doubt that the fiery Arsenal boss can be a thorn in the side of referees. Yet despite more than 250 Premier League appearances and nearly seven complete seasons as Arsenal manager, Arteta has never once been sent to the stands for his touchline behavior during his time with the Gunners.