Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was furious about one refereeing decision after the Gunners’ 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United.
Newcastle’s match-winning goal was controversial to say the least. There were three points of contention which VAR reviewed before awarding the goal. First, it looked as though the ball had gone out of play, then Joelinton appeared to foul Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, before the ball came to the goalscorer Anthony Gordon in what seemed to be in an offside position.
After the match, Mikel Arteta did not hold back in sharing his view on whether or not the goal ought to have stood. As quoted by the club’s official website, the Spanish coach said, “it’s not a goal, for many reasons it’s not a goal, for more than one reason at least it’s not a goal. And there’s too much at stake here, we put in so much effort, and it’s so difficult to compete at this level. And it’s an absolute disgrace. Again, I feel embarrassed, I’ve be more than 20 years in this country, and this is nowhere near the level to describe this as the best league in the world. I am sorry.”
It will be fascinating to see if the PGMOL make a statement, or perhaps even another apology, in the wake of this decision. From this writer’s perspective, the goal should never have been allowed to stand.
However, Arteta does need to be careful. Managers are generally punished for speaking out against referees in such a bald manner.
Arsenal fans will side with Mikel Arteta
Jamie Carragher, though, was pleased to see the Arsenal boss make such a stand. Speaking on Sky Sports, the former Liverpool defender said of Arteta’s rant, “I loved it. I love the interview, the passion and that’s what the game does to you.”
“They’re the interviews you want to see. I think Arsenal fans will love that interview. And I would love that if I was my manager showing that type of passion.”
Meanwhile, Alan Shearer had a very different take on Arteta’s tirade.
Most Arsenal fans, by their nature, will agree with what Arteta said. However, there must also be a recognition that the Gunners did not do enough as an attacking force to win this game themselves. The north London club need to be more consistently clinical in the final third.
Newcastle defended well on Saturday, to their credit. However, the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Eddie Nketiah, and Bukayo Saka seemed disjointed in their efforts to pressurise the Magpies’ back line. This has been a recurrent theme for the Gunners so far this season, who are yet to consistently click as an attacking force. This lack of fluency in the final third is a bigger issue than any referee’s decision.
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