Arsenal: Mikel Arteta reflects on Newcastle United draw
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been warned that he may face a touchline ban if his outbursts on the sideline continue, having squared up to Newcastle boss Eddie Howe in the feisty 0-0 draw their two sides played out on Tuesday. The Spanish coach has been criticised for his antics towards the officials, as Arteta felt that the Gunners were denied two penalties in the top-of-the-table clash.
Several pundits have claimed that Arteta needs to keep his cool more during Arsenal games, as former Sky Sports host Richard Keys called him “an embarrassment” while Alan Shearer felt that the club needed to speak directly to the head coach and remind him to stay calm on the touchline. Chris Sutton has warned Arteta that he could be suspended if his actions continued, ahead of a pivotal run of games in the Gunners’ title race.
“I can understand getting caught up in the heat of the moment,” Sutton wrote in the Daily Mail. “It happens. You’re angry. You vent. But Arteta was at it all game, protesting against every decision.
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Arsenal's Mikel Arteta has been warned after his complaints to the officials and clashing with Howe. (Image: Sky Sports / Getty)
“If Arteta is this wound up by a 0-0 draw with Newcastle — which is no disaster by the way, given the form they’re in — how will he behave in those matches? How will his players behave if they see their manager acting like this?
“Maybe Arsenal will look to use the ‘us against the world’ mentality to their advantage, if Arteta and Co truly feel that the Premier League’s referees are consciously going against them. But it’s not a good look when your manager is acting like a clown.”
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Arteta felt that his side should have been awarded two spot kicks in the draw with Newcastle, as he thought that Dan Burn pulled Gabriel’s shirt during a free-kick which saw the Brazilian fall to the floor, though a penalty was not given. In the final stages of the game, Granit Xhaka burst into the Magpies’ box and his cross hit Jacob Murphy’s arm, but the official did not point to the spot, much to Arteta’s disbelief.
The Spaniard lambasted the referee and squared up to Howe as the two argued over the call, as the pair had to be separated by the fourth officials, though both did attempt to play down the altercation after the game.
During his post-match press conference, Arteta revealed that he had not spoken to the referee after the full-time whistle but blasted the two “scandalous” calls. “We had a lot of situations around the box to do better and then yeah, there were two scandalous penalties,” Arteta said. “Both of them. It’s not particular. It’s a penalty or not a penalty and these are both penalties.”