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      Gary Neville slams Arsenal statement on VAR controversy as ‘poor and dangerous’ and calls on Premier League to act

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      ARSENAL’S decision to publicly back Mikel Arteta’s criticism of VAR has not gone down well with Gary Neville.Following their controversial 1-0 loss to Newcastle last weekend, Gunners boss Arteta branded the refereeing “a disgrace.”
      Gary Neville has labelled Arsenal’s statement in support of Mikel Arteta’s criticism of the refereeing last weekend as “poor” and “dangerous”Credit: Twitter @SkySportsPL
      Arteta blamed their 1-0 loss to Newcastle on refereeing mistakesCredit: Reuters
      The loss had its fair share of drama, including a contentious goal from Anthony Gordon which the Spaniard clearly did not believe should have counted.
      Then there was the decision not to send off Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes.
      Arteta said post-game: “I have praised my players for the performance and the way that we played – we didn’t deserve to lose the match.
      “We lost the match because of the clear and obvious decisions. It’s embarrassing. It’s a disgrace. That’s what it is, a disgrace.”
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      Arsenal subsequently released a statement on their website in support of Arteta’s comments, due to what they described as “yet more unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors on Saturday evening.”
      The statement went on to read: “PGMOL urgently needs to address the standard of officiating and focus on action which moves us all on from retrospective analysis, attempted explanations and apologies.”
      Now, former Manchester United defender turned Sky Sports pundit Neville has slammed the Gunners’ statement.
      He said: “I thought the statement was really poor.
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      The 48-year-old went on to explain: “I think the Arsenal statement is quite dangerous.
      “I think all clubs have signed up to a new behavioural charter at the start of the season.
      “I’m not saying that referees shouldn’t be put under pressure and Mikel Arteta or other managers shouldn’t feel aggrieved at the end of matches, what I am saying is that the clubs themselves should definitely behave better in these circumstances.”
      Neville also went on to add that the PGMOL has “got to start to protect referees”.
      He added: “At the very beginning, I was excited by the new transparency, the apologies to managers and the fact that the referees were communicating with the clubs.
      “But in return what they’re getting is significantly and seriously undermined by their own clubs and I think the Premier League have to get this in order.”
      As things stand, Arteta’s comments are set to go unpunished by the Prem and the PGMOL.
      However, a warning could still head his way should it be decided that his comments were “prolonged” or “unreasonable.”
      Arsenal’s statement has reportedly also left league and PGMOL bosses frustrated.
      Whether or not Newcastle midfielder Joelinton fouled Arsenal’s Gabriel (second from left) during the game’s sole goal has proved controversialCredit: Getty More

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      Mikel Arteta is a ‘Mercedes version of Neil Warnock’ and Arsenal’s statement is ’embarrassing’ blasts referee charity

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      A LEADING referee’s charity has condemned Mikel Arteta’s comments following Arsenal’s loss to Newcastle on Saturday.The Arsenal manager went on a sensational rant in his post-match press conference after feeling that Newcastle’s winning goal should never have stood.
      Arteta said Gordon’s goal should never have stoodCredit: Getty
      There were three separate moments of controversy in the lead-up to the goal.
      The ball looked as though it may have gone out of play in the lead-up to the goal when Joe Willock kept it in.
      Many Arsenal fans also felt Gabriel was fouled in the lead-up by Joelinton and there was a tight offside call on Anthony Gordon.
      Arteta said the decision to let Gordon’s goal count left him “embarrassed” at the standard of refereeing in the country before labelling it an “absolute disgrace”.
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      Arsenal then went on to release a statement condemning the level of refereeing in the Premier League in support of the club’s manager.
      But the CEO of Ref Support UK, Martin Cassidy, says it is the behaviour of Arteta that is an even bigger disgrace.
      Cassidy told The Telegraph: “[Arsenal] would have more credibility if they addressed and made a public statement about the unacceptable behaviour of their players or manager.
      “Mikel Arteta’s touchline behaviour is the worst in the Premier League and his behaviour is a large part of the problem in football. He has become a Mercedes version of Neil Warnock. 
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      “His behaviour and comments, that now appear to be supported by Arsenal as a club, is very worrying for me and the game in general. 
      “This statement [by Arsenal], in my opinion, is nothing other than an infantile moan.”
      Cassidy says the behaviour of the likes of Arteta and Jurgen Klopp on the touchline directly correlates to the rise in the abuse of referees at grassroots level.
      The charity says that abuse is particularly bad for grassroots referees under the age of 18.
      Cassidy was joined in his condemnation of Arteta’s behaviour following the game by Sky Sports pundits’ Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville.
      Both tweeted their disapproval at the rant and subsequent statement by the club.
      Carragher tweeted: “The Arsenal statement and complaints from their manager about the officials and VAR, on the Newcastle goal, is way over the top!”
      And Neville echoed his calls when he tweeted: “Arsenal and Liverpool’s statements are wrong. Do it privately. Managers and players make far more mistakes than refs!” More

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      Ian Wright launches X-rated response to VAR row over Newcastle’s controversial winner against Arsenal

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      IAN WRIGHT has launched an X-rated response to VAR’s review of Newcastle’s winner against Arsenal.Anthony Gordon controversially scored the only goal of the game at St. James’ Park on Saturday.
      Ian Wright has issued an X-rated response to Newcastle’s controversial winnerCredit: Rex
      Anthony Gordon’s goal against Arsenal was awarded after a lengthy VAR reviewCredit: Getty
      His goal was awarded after a lengthy VAR review, which has caused uproar from the Gunners and their supporters.
      Replays were checked to see if the ball had gone out of play in the build-up to Gordon’s strike.
      Meanwhile, VAR also reviewed a possible offside and foul before awarding the goal.
      Joelinton had challenged Gabriel inside the penalty area, but it was deemed to not be a foul.
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      However, Wright disagrees and has now responded on social media.
      The former Arsenal striker shared a new angle of the “foul” to X, formerly Twitter.
      His post shows Gabriel falling to the floor with Joelinton’s hands on his back.
      Alongside the picture, he wrote: “Bro. I’m done with people saying this is not a foul, 50 f***ing 50.”
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      His rant comes after Mikel Arteta had slammed the “embarrassing” officiating after the match.
      He called the decision a “disgrace” and suggested the officials brought the Premier League into disrepute.
      Arsenal later made a public statement in support of their manager, who has escaped punishment from the FA for now.
      Arteta could still be charged with misconduct, though, but is not expected to receive more than a warning and will not be fined. More

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      Chelsea suffer huge blow as key member of Mauricio Pochettino’s backroom staff leaves for new job

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      CHELSEA suffered a huge blow to their coaching staff ahead of their clash with Tottenham.The club’s head of loan moves, Andy Myers, 50, has left his role in order to join Joe Edwards’ backroom staff at Millwall.
      Myers has left his role as Chelsea’s loan managerCredit: Getty
      Edwards held a prominent role on Chelsea’s coaching staff under ex-boss Frank Lampard before taking over England’s Under-20s team in August.
      He was appointed Millwall manager today and his Chelsea connection has seen him poach Myers away from Stamford Bridge, meaning Chelsea will now need to appoint a new loan player technical coach.
      Chelsea’s ‘loan army’ has always been a key pillar of player development at the club.
      While the days are now gone when Chelsea would have 40 players on loan at one time due to new regulations – Myers was still in charge of keeping an eye on the progress of 11 players this season.
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      The coach was tasked with keeping a particularly close eye on the squad’s younger talents such as Harvey Vale at Bristol City, Cesare Casadei at Leicester and Omari Hutchinson at Ipswich.
      There are also the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Hakim Ziyech and Kepa Arrizabalaga who are all loan players with no future at the club.
      It would have been under Myers’ remit to help find these players permanent moves at the end of their loan spells.
      Myers came through the youth academy at Chelsea in the 1990s before making over 100 first-team appearances for The Blues.
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      After retiring in 2005 he moved into coaching and became involved with the youth set-up at Cobham in 2012.
      He has held a number of coaching roles at the club before he took up the role of loan manager last summer.
      His departure to join Millwall brings an end to his over a decade long association with the club’s management. More

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      Ex-Man Utd star says Tottenham have a ‘different level of person’ to Red Devils in savage dig at struggling former club

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      BEN FOSTER has claimed Tottenham’s rapid rise under Ange Postecoglou is down to the players’ top-tier personalities.The former Manchester United goalkeeper was full of praise for Postecoglou’s side ahead of their Monday night game against Chelsea.
      Former Manchester United goalkeeper Ben Foster (pictured) has been critical of the Red Devils’ playersCredit: Getty
      United currently sit a lowly eighth in the Premier LeagueCredit: Reuters
      In his first season in charge of Spurs, the Australian has led Tottenham to second after ten games.
      By comparison, Erik ten Hag’s side have struggled to replicate anything resembling their improved form last year, in what is his second season at the helm in Old Trafford.
      After eleven games, the Red Devils lie a lowly eighth in the Premier League.
      If this wasn’t bad enough, they suffered brutal 3-0 losses to both Manchester City and Newcastle – the latter knocking them out of the Carabao Cup – in the space of four days prior to their narrow 1-0 win over Fulham on Saturday.
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      Comparing the mixed fortunes of Postecoglou and Ten Hag, Foster noted one crucial disparity between the two teams.
      He said on The United Stand: “It’s not a different level of player, it’s a different level of person.
      “That’s the big difference in all of this and that’s the problem in all of this is Tottenham seem, to me, to have good quality people that want to work hard and want to dig in.
      “And hard work will always overcome skill.”
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      Foster later added: “Man United, they’ve got some talented players for sure, but if you’re not willing to put the work in alongside it, you’re gonna get beat, it’s as simple as that.”
      Near enough all of United’s playing staff have come under heavy criticism of late, with Ten Hag having decided to hold one-to-one sessions with each of his players in an attempt to get the dressing room back on track.
      Despite this, unfortunately for United fans, Foster doesn’t see an end to his former side’s poor run of form any time soon.
      He admitted: “I think it’s gonna be a difficult season for everybody involved with Man United to be honest with you.
      “I think there’s too much up in the air. Theres too much lingering, too much of a bad smell and a bad taste, that, it’s not gonna be a fantastic season for them that if they can get top six, I’d say that’s a very good season for Man United.”
      Thankfully for Ten Hag, it appears he has the backing of club legend, Sir Alex Ferguson, despite their sub-par results of late.
      A source told The Sun: “Erik has Sir Alex’s unwavering support. He’s been hugely supportive of Erik since he arrived at the club.
      “He’s impressed at the job he is doing and, in particular, the way he has taken on big decisions.
      “Sir Alex, like everyone else, wishes results were better this season.
      “But he thinks those pointing at the manager and calling for a change are wrong.”
      Seemingly further solidifying the Dutchman’s immediate future with the club is the fact that Sir Jim Ratcliffe seems to have his back.
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      British billionaire Ratcliffe appears en route to taking charge of the team’s football operations once his investment in the team is confirmed.
      And he reportedly remains confident in Ten Hag’s ability to turn the club around. More

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      Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta set to escape FA punishment for astonishing VAR rant after Newcastle loss.. for now

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      PREMIER LEAGUE and PGMOL chiefs will not respond to Mikel Arteta’s Newcastle rant – until next week.Arsenal boss Arteta slammed the “embarrassing” officiating in his side’s 1-0 defeat as a “disgrace”, suggesting it brought the Prem into disrepute.
      Prem and PGMOL chiefs will not respond to Mikel Arteta’s Newcastle rant until next weekCredit: Alamy
      VAR awarded the goal after checking if the ball had gone out of play in the build-upCredit: Sky Sports
      Joelinton’s challenge on Gabriel was also checked for a possible foulCredit: Sky Sports
      VAR could not rule the goal out for offside as there was ‘no available angle to see the point of contact’Credit: Sky Sports
      While the Gunners chief questioned the competence of ref Stuart Attwell and the VAR team at Stockley Park over Anthony Gordon’s controversial winner, he did not call their integrity into account.
      And while he could yet be charged with misconduct if found to have made a “prolonged” or “unreasonable” complaint, it is more likely that he would be hit with a warning rather than a fine.
      Arsenal’s decision to make a public statement in support of Arteta on Sunday ruffled feathers at both Prem headquarters near Paddington and for PGMOL bosses.
      Privately there is understood to have been a feeling that the Gunners over-reacted in a determination to show they had Arteta’s back.
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      And while Arteta had reason for being unhappy at the crucial decision it is felt he went too far – especially as there was no conclusive proof that the ball was out before being crossed by Joe Willock or that Gordon was offside.
      FA disciplinary beaks are expected to confirm whether or not Arteta faces any action on Tuesday after all his post-match comments have been reviewed.
      Despite that, Prem bosses and PGMOL head Webb will not make any official comments in response this week.
      Webb, though, is certain to give the incident top billing in the next edition of “Match Officials Mik’d Up”, scheduled to be broadcast at the start of next week in the international break.
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      The PGMOL boss may agree that Joelinton could have been deemed to have fouled Gabriel in the immediate build-up to the goal, although he will point out it was a subjective decision – and that the on-field ruling of a goal has to have priority unless there is definitive proof of an error.
      That view was articulated by former Prem ref Dermot Gallagher, who told Sky Sports News: “The crux of the matter is that it was a subjective decision.
      “For me, it’s a push but I’ve spoken to a lot of people and while a lot agreed with me there were as many who didn’t.
      “That’s the dilemma. The referee said it wasn’t a foul and the VAR didn’t see enough to over-rule him.” More

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      How Newcastle used Lady Gaga’s private jet last time they were in Europe under Pardew with huge double bed and mirrors

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      LAST season’s top four finish for Newcastle ensured that they’d be spending this season playing in Europe’s elite competition – the Champions League.It’s the first time the Magpies have qualified for the competition since the glory days of the Bobby Robson era in the 2002-03 season.
      Newcastle made use of Lady Gaga’s private jet last time they were in EuropeCredit: Getty
      They went on a European adventure masterminded by Alan PardewCredit: Getty
      But Newcastle have been in Europe more recently than that, after Alan Pardew guided them to a fifth placed finish in the 2011-12 season.
      The Newcastle team back then was spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse up front and boasted some tidy players in the form of Hatem Ben Arfa and Yohan Cabaye.
      It also contained cult legends like Fabricio Coloccini and Jonas Gutierrez.
      And after finishing fifth to secure Europa League qualification, Alan Pardew oversaw the team’s European adventure in the 2012-13 season.
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      According to The Mirror, the private jet used to fly Newcastle’s players and North East reporters around Europe was previously used by Lady Gaga for her world tour.
      The jet was kitted out luxuriously, and included a private cabin complete with a double bed and mirrors.
      While Pardew is not remembered particularly fondly on Tyneside, his side went on a decent run in the competition – reaching the quarter-finals.
      Along the way, the Toon Army were able to visit the likes of Athens, Bruges, Bordeaux, Madeira, Moscow and Kharviv.
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      Newcastle were eventually knocked out by a Benfica side managed by Jorge Jesus – who had a good record managing against English teams in Europe.
      Newcastle face a trip to Borussia Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park in The Champions League on Tuesday night.
      The Magpies are currently third in the group and behind Dortmund on their head-to-head record following their loss to them last time out.
      A loss to Dortmund would make it incredibly tricky for Newcastle to finish ahead of the Bundesliga side, who are currently second in the group. More

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      Forgotten Chelsea star who played just 18 Premier League minutes inspiring unlikely title charge to thwart Mbappe

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      FORMER Chelsea winger Jeremie Boga is now inspiring his team to a Ligue 1 title push.Boga, 26, joined Chelsea’s academy at the age of 11 in 2008 and climbed the ranks before signing his first professional contract seven years later.
      Jeremie Boga has been involved in three of his team’s last five goalsCredit: Getty
      OGC Nice are currently top of the Ligue 1 tableCredit: AFP
      He was part of a ‘golden generation’ of young talents at Stamford Bridge with the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham.
      But while his team-mates broke into the senior team, Boga struggled for game time.
      The winger was loaned to Stade Rennais in 2015 to gain first team experience and went on to make 31 appearances.
      However, upon his return to West London he struggled to break into the first team again and was subsequently sent on another season-long loan, this time to Granada.
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      Following the conclusion of his second loan spell, Boga was handed his first team and Premier League debut for Chelsea.
      He started the opening game of the 2017-18 season against Burnley, but his debut was cut short when he was substituted in the 18th minute after Gary Cahill’s early red card.
      And just a few weeks later, the winger was loaned out once again to Birmingham.
      Boga eventually joined Sassuolo in a £3.5million transfer and spent four years at the Mapei Stadium before joining Atalanta.
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      And this summer he completed a £15.6m transfer to Ligue 1 side OGC Nice.
      The Eaglets have been the unlikely team of the season so far.
      They currently LEAD the Ligue 1 table ahead of Paris Saint-Germain and Monaco.
      And they are yet to lose a match this season.
      Boga has been involved in three of his team’s last five goals.
      He scored the opening goal on Sunday as Nice continued their unbeaten run with a 2-0 win over Rennes.
      They are now set to face 13th-placed Montpellier on Friday.
      Boga made just one appearance for ChelseaCredit: Getty More