Following Tuesday night’s 0-0 draw between Newcastle and Premier League leaders Arsenal, Mikel Arteta blasted two “scandalous” penalty decisions.
As third-place Newcastle frustrated the hosts in a game at the Emirates Stadium with few clear-cut opportunities but plenty of heated moments, Arsenal lost the chance to pull 10 points clear of Manchester City.
When Newcastle defender Dan Burn appeared to tug on Gabriel’s shirt as he attempted to meet a dangerous free-kick on the hour mark, Arteta thought his team should have been given a penalty.
Arteta then lost it again on the sidelines when Granit Xhaka’s cross struck Jacob Murphy’s arm in stoppage time.
Both appeals were waved away without a VAR interruption.
What Mikel Arteta Said
“They are two penalties, it’s very simple,” the Arsenal manager insisted to Sky Sports. “I’m talking about what I’ve seen, now, and it’s two scandalous penalties.”
Arteta was also adamant that Arsenal had “enough changes to win the game” despite only forcing one crucial save from goalkeeper Nick Pope, when Eddie Nketiah’s left-footed strike was kept out late on.
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“I’m extremely proud of my players,” said the Spaniard. “The way we played, the way we dominated the game, the way we tried, the way we continued.
“We miss in the final third, we had so many situations and then we had two scandalous penalties.”
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