Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, in response to receiving a booking for mimicking a yellow card gesture, has asserted that he "cannot change in three days" and has refrained from offering any apologies.

In the 2023–24 season, Arteta became the inaugural Premier League manager to be penalised under the new regulations that emphasise strict actions against those who vocally request cautions from referees and engage in confrontations with them.

Referees have been instructed to be vigilant in curbing such behaviours. Despite Arteta's knowledge of these guidelines prior to a Community Shield encounter against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, his caution in the first half for gesturing a yellow card motion towards Stuart Attwell indicated that he may not have fully internalised these directives.

Arteta told reporters afterwards, when asked about the new rules that he has already broken: "I cannot change my behaviour in three days. It's a very difficult thing to do, and next time we cannot ask him to say, Okay, tomorrow we play with no offsides' and the linesman says, What is he doing?'.

"We try our best, and I try my best. I understand the rules, and I understand where they're coming from. But we can get frustrated there because sometimes we don't know what part of the technical area we are. But it's fine, we will adapt."

Following Arsenal's penalty victory over City, Arteta appeared to be in high spirits. The Gunners capitalised on yet another new directive that involves extended stoppage time. In the 101st minute, Leandro Trossard's deflected equaliser found the net.

The decision to prolong matches significantly beyond the traditional 90-minute mark has garnered a varied range of reactions.

Arteta is a fan, with the Spaniard saying: "At the end, it's about effective time. I think it's really good to do that because it was going too far I think and now teams are going to have to think twice. Now we have to be prepared to play 100 minutes because it's going to happen every single week."

Arsenal, with silverware already under their belt, are set to open their 2023–24 Premier League campaign at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.