Gary Neville chooses surprise side in Jamie Carragher and Arsenal celebration debate

Gary Neville has told Arsenal to tone down their celebrations after siding with Jamie Carragher in the ongoing debate over excessive celebrations.

On February 4 Arsenal won a huge victory over Liverpool at the Emirates, winning 3-1 in what could be crucial at the end of the season with both teams in the race for the Premier League title.

But speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher angered the Gunners for what he called excessive celebration, particularly in Martin Odegaard for taking photographs of a photographer in the field.

This has led to more than a week of debate over what constitutes excessive celebration and when players can go crazy with their celebrations after a win.

And Neville sided with his Sky Sports partner and criticized Arsenal and Mikel Artetatelling them to cool down their planes.

“There have been a lot of jokes about celebrating too much. There has been a lot of talk about celebrating too much,” Neville told Sky Sports.

“But it's a really serious topic, it's a really serious topic. Last year I made a lot of points in the race about how emotion, passion, can sap energy.

“Especially if you're overzealous and that sounds absolutely crazy.

“But look it up! Look it up from the point of view of someone who is qualified in these things.

“If you use too much emotion, too much enthusiasm, and you've exaggerated those anxieties and those enthusiasms and excitement levels, you're sapping your body's energy.

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“Arsenal last season, and there were moments that I pointed out, that maybe seem a little fickle, where they won against Bournemouth At home, I think there are ten or twelve games left and (Oleksandr) Zinchenko is shouting at the fans an hour and twenty minutes after kick-off leaving in his car.

“No doubt your fans are there, greetings, well done today.

“But if you're using that level of emotion. Imagine what we're not seeing, imagine the emotion we're not seeing. We're just getting a glimpse.”

“But you can read the impact of that real kind of heightened feeling.

“You just have to control it because Arsenal have a real chance, they have a really good team.

“The manager has done a great job. The back four are solid, the midfield looks strong, they have exciting forward players who haven't really hit their form this season.

“But if they can start to get into the form they seem to be doing now, they are a big threat.

“I feel like if they could have that kind of… when they win a game, they score a goal, they celebrate for their life.

“But when you win the game at the end today, that fierce determination. One down, 12 to go and you just maintain that control, that controlled position of knowing the job isn't done.”