Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could now face punishment for what he did after Newcastle

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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta delivered a scathing assessment of the refereeing standards in the Premier League, and may now be punished as a result.

The Gunners fell to their first league defeat of the season at Newcastle on Saturday, with a controversial goal from Anthony Gordon the difference, and Arteta was furious after the game.

Arsenal then backed their manager’s words with a statement calling for improvement from referee association PGMOL, in a move which has been criticised in the media.

Arteta will now have to wait and see whether he is punished for his furious comments.

Mikel Arteta could now be punished by FA

A report from The Times has now claimed that the FA have written to both Arteta and Arsenal to request observations of their actions following the Newcastle defeat, and will decide on a punishment based on their responses.

Arteta had slammed the quality of refereeing in the Premier League, whilst Arsenal had specifically mentioned Howard Webb and PGMOL in their statement of support.

The manager and club have three days to hand in their observations of the events which transpired, after which the FA have three days to decide on a punishment, meaning any action, such as a fine or a touchline ban, will likely not come into effect until after the upcoming international break.

Punishment unlikely to deter Arteta

Arteta has been heavily vocal in demanding higher standards from the referees and VAR in the Premier League, and even if he is heavily punished, it is tough to see him backing down from this feud.

Arsenal have found themselves on the wrong end of several controversial decisions, with perhaps the worst coming in last season’s draw against Brentford, where the VAR officials issued an apology for failing to rule out the visitors’ offside goal.

If he is punished for his words, whilst no action is taken to improve refereeing standards, Arteta’s point about the organisation’s methods not being fit for purpose will only be highlighted as true. If he escapes punishment, then perhaps it is a sign that the FA acknowledge what he said as useful.