Arsenal’s latest frustration with referees and the standard of officiating is no recent problem, with Arsene Wenger even questioning the quality when he was in charge of the side.
In just a few years, Mikel Arteta has been on the end of some questionable and frustrating decisions, with consistency one of the main complaints.
Across an even larger managerial time frame, Arsene Wenger has felt even more frustration in his time at Arsenal.
The former manager’s statement at the time may well mirror some of the issues that the Gunners face today with officiating and subjective calls.
Arsene Wenger’s frustration over Arsenal refereeing
Wenger had seen some poor decisions given against Arsenal over the years, with referees making it tough for the head coach at times.
One such game in December 2017 saw the manager fuming as Mike Dean awarded a penalty against the Gunners for West Brom, handing them a draw.
While it was eight years ago, Wenger’s frustration may still ring true as he said after the match: “I’m angry because we have seen the same things again.
“I did fight very hard for the referees to become professional many years ago and they did a good job to allow them to be professional. But I see no improvement.
“There are two countries in Europe where you have professional referees, in Italy and in England, and not one English referee will go to the World Cup.
“But everything is all right. We cannot say a word against it because they’re untouchable. That is the truth. It’s not only me that judges them.”
Some of the sentiments from that frustration may well still remain, though the PGMOL has worked hard to improve refereeing standards.
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Arsenal frustration over referee standards
Arsenal frustrations are starting to pile up as refereeing standards come into question along with consistency.
That frustration started with anger on display from Arteta, but he has since withdrawn with his comments.
While he was venting his annoyance, he has seemingly retreated to apathy and perhaps wanted to let the refereeing talk for itself.
Four red cards in 2024/25, of varying agreement over their validity, has proven to be an unwanted record for the side.
It’s something they will be looking to stop, though the standards of refereeing continue to be a talking point.
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