Mikel Arteta was so smooth in his side-stepping that he might still offer value for the odd dance in midfield. On seven occasions a question came at him about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and to each he swerved out of the way.
For now he feels enough has been said, in that he has told us his captain committed another breach of discipline, and it was the reason why he had no role in the 3-0 kicking of Southampton on Saturday.
What he wouldn’t tell us were the details, such as his whereabouts during training on Friday, or if he was abroad earlier in the week, and whether it is an ongoing punishment or a sanction that ended at the weekend.