In a tumultuous period for football, Arsenal are engaged in a multi-prong confrontation with PGMOL over VAR decisions, the FA, and the media.
Arsenal vs PGMOL and the media: A roundup
The relationship between Arsenal, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), and the media has been put under strain following a series of events after Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.
Manager Mikel Arteta has made no apologies for his frank criticism of VAR decisions in the match, emphasising his responsibility to represent Arsenal’s interests strongly and publicly.
In response to the defeat and the officiating that accompanied it, Arsenal are believed to be compiling a comprehensive dossier of refereeing decisions that have negatively impacted them since the start of last season.
Arsenal also issued a statement affirming their unwavering support for Arteta which angered PGMOL and the media more.
The club’s public backing of Arteta’s comments reflects a unified front in the face of widespread scrutiny and criticism from the media, particularly from outlets like the Daily Mail, which has been waging a war on Arsenal and Arteta.
The football world should have took notice as former referees and managers came forward to back Arsenal’s stance.
Notably, Martin O’Neill lent his support to Arteta, asserting that the Arsenal manager’s outburst was justified given the circumstances. He wasn’t the only one.
Former referee Mark Clattenburg also weighed in, suggesting that the referee needing to maintain the respect of the players influenced his terrible decisions, most of which Clattenburg says he got wrong.
However, the narrative took a turn when it emerged that pundits were allegedly being asked to tone down their critique of referees following the match.
Suddenly, it all became about how awful Arsenal are.
This claim has failed to lead to any discussion in football circles, which should be questioning the integrity of the relationship between the sport’s governing bodies and its coverage in the press, but are instead being led on a merry dance by certain pundits.
Keith Hackett’s harsh critique of the Premier League refereeing standards, especially in light of the Arsenal-Newcastle VAR controversy, should have also intensified the scrutiny on PGMOL.
Instead, the media turned their guns on Arsenal.
Hackett’s comments that the ‘world is laughing at us’ made barely a ripple in the pages of the Daily Mail and others like it. I doubt Gray Neville and Jamie Carragher even know, nor care, what he said.
The FA’s intervention added another layer to the saga, with the association writing to Arsenal and Arteta seeking explanations for their comments on VAR.
The events see Arsenal standing firm against both PGMOL’s handling of officiating and the media’s response to it.
With the club’s reputation and the integrity of English football’s officiating at stake, this is a battle that shows no signs of abating.
Furthermore, Arteta himself seemed to have a sneaky dig at media darling and Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou in his pre-Sevilla press conference, adding another layer of intrigue to the drama.