Eddie Howe has brutal response when asked about Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, and he’s spot on

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Arsenal fell to a Premier League defeat against Newcastle United on Saturday afternoon. 

In a match of few chances all round, Alexander Isak was able to provide some cutting edge for the hosts.

Meanwhile, Arsenal were toothless throughout at St James’ Park, as Mikel Arteta’s side only managed one shot on target in the whole match.

The Gunners’ attacking quartet, formed of Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, and Leandro Trossard all failed to deliver. Meanwhile, Arsenal fans bemoaned Martin Odegaard’s absence, as the injured Norwegian playmaker’s creativity was sorely missed in the North East.

The Magpies deserve credit for how they held the North London club at bay, and Eddie Howe will have been delighted with the performance that his players produced. 

• READ MORE: A timeline of every Arsenal captain during the Premier League era from Tony Adams to Martin Odegaard

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe hits back at Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta

After the final whistle, as quoted by the official Arsenal website, Arteta claimed that Newcastle are “really good at what they do,” referencing their physical approach to the game. 

In his own post-match press conference, as shared by Hayters TV, Howe was asked what he made of Arteta’s comments. 

He said: “It’s irrelevant to me what anyone says, really, apart from my team.”

In any case, the Gunners take a very physical approach to the game themselves. The likes of Declan Rice, Mikel Merino, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Magalhaes, and Havertz, amongst others, are all noted for their ability to overpower opponents and win duels, they were just outdone in this regard on Saturday.

Why Howe was right to dismiss Arteta

With his statement, Howe took responsibility for his own players and shut out any outside noise. Arteta must now take a leaf out of the Newcastle boss’ book.

Arteta needs to focus on his own players right now. Arsenal have been warned that their Premier League title chances are slipping. 

The Gunners must get their form back on track. Arteta needs his big players to step up and deliver. If Arsenal can’t produce a sustained run of positive form now then they will be ejected from the Premier League title race before they know it.