Mikel Arteta Criticized by Former Arsenal Vice-Chairman for Post-Match Meltdown

Former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has voiced his criticism of Mikel Arteta for tarnishing Arsenal’s reputation with his post-match meltdown following the recent defeat against Newcastle. Arteta, the Gunners boss, labeled the VAR decision not to rule out Anthony Gordon’s goal in the 1-0 defeat at St James’ Park as ‘an absolute disgrace’ and has since been charged by the Football Association.

Arteta’s Outburst and VAR Decision

During the match, VAR conducted a triple check to determine if the ball had gone out of play before Joe Willock’s cross, if Joelinton had fouled Arsenal defender Gabriel, and if Gordon had been offside. Despite PGMOL chief Howard Webb subsequently explaining and defending the decision, Dein believed that Arteta went too far with his protestations.

Dein’s Perspective on Arteta’s Conduct

Speaking on talkSPORT, Dein was asked if he would have defended Arteta if he were still at Arsenal. Dein responded, “It wouldn’t have happened. But we’re in an emotional game, and these things do happen. I think it’s unfortunate, and you live and learn.” When asked if he would have taken Arteta aside and warned him about his conduct, Dein stated, “Probably. But you don’t want to undermine the manager either. The manager, in the heat of the moment, that’s what he believed in.”

Dein’s Final Analysis

Dein further expressed his perspective on the situation, stating, “In the final analysis, I think it was a bit of misdirection because the fact is, there were 101 minutes of football played, and we only had one shot at goal. So you can’t really say that the team deserved to win. It is what it is. I don’t think it did the image of the club any good.”

Trending

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.