Arsenal said they “wholeheartedly support” manager Mikel Arteta after he criticised the officiating in Saturday’s Premier League defeat by Newcastle United, imploring the referees body (PGMOL) to look into the standards of refereeing.
Arteta said he felt “embarrassed” and “sick” after Anthony Gordon‘s controversial goal in Newcastle’s 1-0 home victory over his side as he gave a scathing assessment of the match officials and the Premier League’s standards.
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The goal was allowed to stand after VAR took several minutes to check if the ball went out of play, whether there was a foul in the build-up and for offside as Arsenal fell to their first league defeat of the season.
“Arsenal Football Club wholeheartedly supports Mikel Arteta’s post-match comments after yet more unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors on Saturday evening,” the club said in a statement on Sunday.
“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.”
The PGMOL has been under increasing pressure this season after several VAR decisions stirred debates, the most high-profile being the “human error” which led to a legitimate Liverpool goal against Tottenham Hotspur being chalked off.