Mikel Arteta chose measured words over confrontation on Tuesday, brushing aside Graeme Souness's claim that Bukayo Saka is a cheat in a pre-match press conference ahead of Arsenal's Champions League trip to Bayern Munich.

"I haven't heard it and I'm not going to talk about opinions," Arteta said, when asked to respond to the former Liverpool captain's remarks. Pressed for a sharper rebuttal, the Arsenal manager declined to take the bait.

"We are open to opinions," Arteta continued. "It's part of our job, it's part of our roles, and those opinions need to be respected — especially if they are given in a respectful way. We are here to prove that we belong to this level, to this stage, and certainly always have the intention and ambition to improve and be better."

What Souness said

The controversy began when Souness appeared on Piers Morgan's Football Uncensored programme and accused Saka of simulation. "Your man Saka dives all over the place," Souness told Morgan. "Anyone who simulates a foul, in my book, would be a cheat."

The former Liverpool skipper elaborated, arguing that the moment Saka looks likely to lose possession, "he's down." Souness also criticised the reaction of Saka's Arsenal teammates, claiming they amplify the situation by surrounding the referee and appealing loudly.

"Everyone in the immediate area — all Arsenal players — put their hands up and scream foul," Souness said. "The referee panics. He blows his whistle when it wasn't a foul; his first instinct was the right one."

Souness was careful to broaden his criticism beyond Saka alone, conceding that simulation is widespread in the modern game. "If you asked 100 people what it is that you dislike about the modern game, 50 per cent would say simulation, another 50 per cent would say VAR," he concluded.

Saka expected to feature at Allianz Arena

Despite the off-field noise, Saka is expected to start when Arsenal face Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening. The England winger produced two goal contributions from the bench in Arsenal's Champions League fixture the previous week, underlining his importance to Arteta's side.