Arteta and his players felt that Anthony Gordon’s match-winning goal should not have stood. VAR was unable to determine whether the ball had bounced out of play before Joe Willock delivered a cross for Joelinton to knock down, while Arsenal believed that the Brazilian pushed defender Gabriel.
Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes otherwise escaped a red card when he seemed to elbow Jorginho. Arsenal’s Kai Havertz could also have been sent off in a feisty affair.
But Arteta and Arsenal were left furious after the game, with the Spaniard embarking on an incredible rant during his media duties. The club then released a statement backing up their head coach and demanding that there be an urgent review into the standard of Premier League refereeing.
According to the Daily Mail, Arsenal believe that a ‘pattern’ of decisions have gone against them over the last couple of seasons. They are set to compile a list of key moments in which they believe referees have erred in the opposition’s favour.
One of those incidents is reported to be Mateo Kovacic escaping a red card during Arsenal’s win over Manchester City on October 8. The list of decisions is set to be presented during a tense meeting with PGMOL chiefs.
The report adds that Arsenal’s reaction has not gone down well within the refereeing community. A source describes the Gunners as having been “over the top” in their criticism, while it is noticeable that the PGMOL has not responded publicly to the north Londoners.
Arteta sensationally said he felt ‘embarrassed’ and ‘ashamed’ to be part of the Premier League having been in the country for nearly 20 years. He slammed the officiating as a ‘disgrace’, while Arsenal have called for refereeing standards to be improved.
