Kyle Walker breaks silence about his clash with Arsenal coach Nicolas Jover after defeat
Kyle Walker snapped at Arsenal coach Nicolas Jover after Manchester City's 1-0 defeat at the Emirates.
Kyle Walker has finally explained why he refused to shake the hand of an Arsenal coach after Manchester City's 1-0 defeat at the Emirates.
Champions City were beaten via a late deflected Gabriel Martinelli strike in North London and tempers flared after the final whistle.
City's captain Walker has seen in an angry exchange with Nicolas Jover, with the footage widely circulating on social media with multiple angles.
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The two sides were heading back to the tunnel when it got heated and soon players like Erling Haaland got involved.
Pep Guardiola refused to comment on the matter despite admitting he knew what happened, but it soon emerged that Walker had snubbed a handshake from Jover.
However, it was then reported that the England defender had done so because Jover, who also worked for City under Guardiola, did the same last season and kept his hands behind his back after Arsenal suffered defeats in both league fixtures.
Walker had remained tight-lipped but has now opened up on the squabble and says he will likely reach out to Jover as it was "probably a bit too much".
As per Metro, he said: "I don’t like losing. A couple of matches before, Nico, who worked for Man City, he did not want to shake hands when we beat them before.
"When we lost, he wanted to shake my hand and I did not take it lightly. Simple as that.
"I have been concentrating on England but I will probably reach out to him, definitely. I will say, it was probably a bit too much."
City suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time in 2018 and Walker believes his reaction sums up the winning mentality he has developed at the Etihad Stadium.
He added: "It shows the standards I have achieved and what I have learnt over the years, it is a big match there and losing in the way we did and so late on hurts.
"But if it did not hurt I am probably at the wrong club as we are title contenders."
Walker was rested for England's 1-0 friendly win over Australia but is expected to be back in for the Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy on Tuesday night.
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Topics: Kyle Walker, Manchester City, Arsenal, Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta
Josh Lawless