Arteta responds to Neville after criticism of 'dangerous' Arsenal statement

07 November 2023 , 11:47

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Mikel Arteta has hit back at criticism from Gary Neville (Image: Sky Sports)

Mikel Arteta has fired back at criticism after Gary Neville branded an Arsenal statement addressing the standards of VAR officiating in the Premier League as "dangerous".

Neville was less than impressed with a statement released by the club demanding answers from the PGMOL in the wake of their controversial 1-0 loss against Newcastle at the weekend.

Arteta's comments following the match and the Arsenal statement have both been subjected to criticism from fans and pundits alike, but the Spaniard defended those actions in his pre-match press conference ahead of Wednesday night's match against Sevilla.

He said: "I will do it and the club will do it again until this is right. We have a duty to express how we feel with the evidence we have and the history we have

‌"It is my duty to stand in front of you, in front of the cameras and give a very clear and honest assessment of what happens in the game. This is what I did, reflect very openly about how I felt we played and how the game was conditioned by the decisions made. It is my duty to defend and support my players and club in the best possible way. I will do it time after time and I do it with the evidence we have.

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"I always do it, when we play brilliantly or when we have lost. That is the way I am, and I have to defend my club. These things don’t happen overnight. When I say those things it is because I feel strongly about them. Internally, to my players it is how we can play better and be more dominant and give no chance to the opponents."

Arsenal's strongly worded statement was released off the back of the decision to allow Anthony Gordon's winning goal at St. James' Park - a decision that Arteta branded as "embarrassing" and "a disgrace".

Arteta and Arsenal were furious that Antony Gordon's goal was allowed to stand (CameraSport via Getty Images)

Reports on Monday night outlined that the Gunners have compiled a list of decisions they feel have gone against them in preparation to confront the Premier League at their next meeting.

However, PGMOL statistics outline that Arsenal have been affected by just three wrong or missed VAR interventions since the start of the 2022/23 campaign - a total far lower than other clubs who have spoken out about officiating standards in recent weeks.

Arsenal's statement in full read: "Arsenal Football Club wholeheartedly supports Mikel Arteta's post-match comments after yet more unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors on Saturday evening. We'd also like to acknowledge the huge effort and performance from our players and travelling supporters at St James' Park.

"The Premier League is the best league in the world with the best players, coaches and supporters, all of whom deserve better. PGMOL urgently needs to address the standard of officiating and focus on action which moves us all on from retrospective analysis, attempted explanations and apologies.

"We support the ongoing efforts of Chief Refereeing Officer, Howard Webb and would welcome working together to achieve the world-class officiating standards our league demands."

Dan Marsh