November 05, (THEWILL) – Arsenal Football Club released a statement on Sunday, backing manager, Mikel Arteta’s criticism of refereeing decisions during Saturday’s English Premier League match against Newcastle United. The North London side lost 1-0, thanks to a controversial goal allowed by VAR.
The club said Arteta was right to call out the “unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors” that took place at St. James’ Park on 5 November, 2023. Arsenal also praised the “huge effort and performance” of its players and supporters during the hard-fought away match.
The statement argued that the Premier League deserves better officiating standards to match its status as the top football league in the world with the best talent on display. It urged the Professional Game Match Officials Board (PGMOL) to urgently address refereeing issues rather than relying on retrospective analysis and apologies after the fact.
Arsenal declared its support for PGMOL Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb’s ongoing reform efforts. The club said it welcomes the opportunity to work “together to achieve the world-class officiating standards our league demands.”
The statement comes after a series of controversial refereeing decisions have gone against Arsenal this season. Manager Arteta received a one-match ban for remonstrating with officials during a recent game. The club is fed up with apologies, as it got from the PGMOL recently, and is demanding action to improve refereeing quality.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
