Arteta plays down furious touchline clash with Klopp at Anfield

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says 'nothing' prompted his coming together with Jurgen Klopp during his side's 4-0 defeat Liverpool.

The pair came face-to-face on the touchline in the 32nd minute after an aerial battle between Sadio Mane and Takehiro Tomiyasu left the latter on the deck.

Arteta completely lost his temper and had to at one point be physically restrained by his assistant as he threatened to enter Klopp's technical area. Both managers were eventually booked by referee

When asked what prompted his reaction, Arteta told Sky Sports: 'Nothing. He (Klopp) was defending his team, I was defending my team. I congratulated him for the game.

'For me, all these incidents they stay there, they’re part of the hit and the way we would like to compete.'

On the other hand, the Reds boss went into more detail as he said: 'We had to take Sadio (Mane) off against Atletico Madrid because Atletico only went for that, to get him a yellow card and I have to take him off and all this kind of thing and it’s just not okay.

'I have to say the ref did really well in that situation, I know I deserved a yellow card it’s no problem. If there’s a harsh challenge, we are all like this, but it was nothing.

'He didn’t even touch him. It was just two players going in the air and then they jump and that was not okay and that’s what I said.'

Goals from Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and Takumi Minamino inflicted defeat on the Gunners as their 10-match unbeaten run was brought to an end.

But the Gunners stay fifth after Manchester United lost 4-1 to Watford and they will take-on Newcastle at the Emirates Stadium next weekend.