Mikel Arteta has finally let rip at the state of refereeing in the Premier League after a series of terrible decisions, once again, went against Arsenal.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta voiced his anger following a disgraceful 1-0 defeat against Newcastle United at St James’ Park, marked by a number of awful VAR decisions.
Anthony Gordon’s goal, which arrived just past the hour, was subject to an extensive video assistant referee (VAR) review for several potential infringements but ultimately stood, becoming the pivotal moment of the match despite the ball being out of play, a foul on Gabriel and Gordon being offside.
Arteta, who watched his team lose out on a valuable point against the Saudi-owned side, shared his fury post-match.
“For what the boys did out there and the way a football match has to be played, and what is allowed in football to score a goal, obviously we are talking about a very different topic,” Arteta said.
“I feel embarrassed to be part of this show. It is unacceptable and is an absolute disgrace.”
The Arsenal boss praised his players, saying, “We conceded nothing, and I have to praise my players for the way we played here. I haven’t seen a single team do what we have coming here today, but the reality is that we are out with zero points and they have three.”
He highlighted the slender margins defining the league and declared the outcome intolerable given the efforts on the pitch. “In this league, the margins are so small, the competition is too big and it is unacceptable to be in this position after what we’ve done on that pitch,” he asserted.
The defence’s resilient effort, which significantly limited Newcastle’s chances, left Arteta with no questions regarding their performance. He expressed contentment with the team’s efforts and assured continued perseverance in their approach to the game.
“I have no regrets with what the players have tried to do, the way they have performed,” he concluded. “We will continue to do that but we cannot be in the hands of other people with the amount of work that we put in and the amount of effort that goes in, how much is at stake in a game for a football club and everything that is behind us. It is not good enough and we cannot accept that, I’m sorry.”
The outcome at St James’ Park has certainly stirred a strong response from the Arsenal camp, as they were left empty-handed despite a performance that, by their own accounts, warranted a more favourable result.
In his press conference, Arteta continued. “We have to talk about the result because you have to talk about how they help these goals stand up, and it’s incredible. I feel embarrassed. But I have to be the one now coming here to try to defend the club and please ask for help because it’s an absolute disgrace that this goal is allowed, it’s an absolute disgrace.
“Because 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.”
Asked about the goal being checked for three infringements, Arteta replied, “That makes it even worse, makes it look even worse, it makes it even worse. You just need to see one image, that’s what you need, and you have any doubt you look at the second one. And if this is a goal, okay, that’s fine. I don’t care honestly, I don’t care what they say. It’s the outcome. It’s too late, whatever they say is too late. I don’t want to be in the hands of people.
“This is really the question guys, the question is it’s not a goal it’s simple it’s not a goal. Simple. For a goal to be allowed there are certain things prior to that, that the ball hitting one metre from the goal that are not allowed in football, in football in here in China, in Japan, in Spain, in Italy, and in Portugal, they are not allowed. That’s what happens.
“I have to stand here now and explain, And we lost three points today, guys. You know what that means? It’s too hard, this league, it’s too hard, there is too much at stake. It’s embarrassing.”