Are ‘big decisions’ going against Arsenal? Mikel Arteta fumes at red card call as Gunners fight for Premier League title

The Arsenal boss has expressed his frustration with recent refereeing calls, suggesting that Manchester City and Newcastle United should have both been reduced to 10 men in the Gunners' latest two outings. The London side managed a gritty 1-0 victory over the Magpies at Emirates Stadium thanks to an early Eberechi Eze goal, but the post-match talk was dominated by a flashpoint in the second half.

The incident saw Pope escape with only a yellow card after clattering into substitute Viktor Gyokeres with 16 minutes left on the clock. Despite a VAR review, the on-field decision stood, much to the disbelief of the Arsenal bench. Arteta was adamant that the challenge deserved a dismissal, especially given the context of the title race.

"I have to say as well in my opinion, it is a clear red card," Arteta told reporters about the Pope challenge. "I have watched it 10 times. If you have ever played football, it is a red card. It is the second time in two games because against Manchester City when Kai Havertz goes through and [Abdukodir] Khusanov's fouling him at 1-1, the title is there. It is a red card."

The Spaniard continued to vent his spleen, suggesting that the location of the foul and the absence of cover should have made the decision straightforward. "So these are the margins as well. Hopefully that is going to change. Everyone will have their opinion, I am here to give my opinion. I'm somebody who has been in the game for the long time. You talk to any of the players because the trajectory, where the ball is, there is no keeper there. If that had happened the other way around, it is a red card," he added.

Arteta’s comments also harked back to a 2-1 defeat against Man City, where he believes Abdukodir Khusanov should have been sent off for a tackle on Kai Havertz. The Gunners boss insists he is not looking for excuses but rather highlighting a pattern of "big decisions" failing to go in Arsenal's favour at a critical juncture of the campaign as they hunt their first league title in over two decades.

"I am saying the reality of the last two games at crucial moments when everything is at stake, we need everything to go our way and it hasn't," Arteta added. "I am not giving any excuses. I am the first one to understand. I didn't talk about it when we lost the game. I am doing it when we won. It is a red card today. It is a red card in Manchester and the world is different. That's it."

While the officiating takes centre stage, Arsenal also face an anxious wait regarding the fitness of Havertz and goalscorer Eze. Both players were forced off with fitness issues during the narrow win, casting doubt on their availability for the upcoming Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday night.

"They are muscular niggles," Arteta confirmed. "We don't think it's too much. We have to wait and see if they're going to be available for Wednesday." With the fixtures piling up and the pressure mounting both domestically and in Europe, Arteta will be desperate for his stars to recover as quickly as possible for the trip to Spain.

Click here to read article