The child started crying from the moment he took Arteta's hand in the tunnel and was still shedding tears as the teams lined up on the pitch for the Champions League anthem.
In the end, it proved to be a bad omen as Arteta was sent off in the second half after receiving a second yellow card.
Arsenal fans were also not amused after they missed the start of the match after their specially arranged coaches were stuck in traffic en route to the San Paolo Stadium.
No laughing matter: Arteta's mascot bursts into tears as he takes the hand of the Arsenal midfielder
No turning back: The young mascot is in no mood to walk out onto the pitch in Napoli
No comforting: Arteta has more important business to attend to as his mascot continues to cry
The Premier League leaders had arranged for the coaches to transport their 700 travelling fans from a secret location to the stadium amid security fears.
But the coaches are reported to have turned up late and after making their way slowly through the heavy traffic, Arsenal fans had missed the early stages.
