Mikel Arteta warns referees that Arsenal are prepared to revolt again after the club backed his scathing comments following controversial defeat to Newcastle

• Anthony Gordon’s strike against Arsenal was shrouded in VAR controversy 
• The Gunners are also sweating on the fitness of captain Martin Odegaard 
• CHRIS SUTTON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is a clown – It’s All Kicking Off 

Mikel Arteta has warned the Premier League that he and Arsenal are willing to revolt again if they are faced by any more refereeing controversy, as he praised the club for backing his comments on Newcastle’s winning goal.

The Spaniard and the Gunners have been contacted by the FA for their observations after Arteta described Anthony Gordon’s winner, which went through three VAR checks, as ‘embarrassing’ and a ‘disgrace’ in his post-match media duties on Saturday.

On Sunday, the club doubled down, releasing a statement in which they said the loss involved ‘yet more unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors’, adding that the Premier League ‘deserve better’.

‘It was great from my point of view, I didn’t expect it,’ Arteta said, ahead of the Gunners’ Champions League match against Sevilla on Wednesday. ‘I said it’s my duty to stand in front of you guys and give what I think and then the club has got many options, and they decided to do that one.

‘I really appreciate it. I think the players did, everybody at the club did. It showed again that we are one and ready for anything that comes across to fight it in the best possible way.

Mikel Arteta launched a scathing attack on the refereeing standards of his side’s defeat to Newcastle

Anthony Gordon’s winner was shrouded in controversy having been checked three times by VAR

Arsenal released a club statement doubling down on Arteta’s claim awarding the goal was ’embarrassing’

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‘I and the club would do it again until this is right.’

The outburst was not the result of just the Newcastle defeat, having felt slighted by previous decisions going back to last season.

As Mail Sport revealed Arsenal are set to cite the refereeing decisions that have gone against them since the last campaign in their next meeting in a bid to prove a pattern.

‘Things don’t happen overnight,’ he said. ‘When I was that clear and had all the evidence to stand for the words I used in the media, it’s because I feel strongly about them.

‘One thing is saying it externally, internally to my players it’s how we can play better, be more dominant and play the way we want so we give no chance to the opponent.

‘But one thing is my duty to you guys and then my duty as a coach to do what I have to. This is exactly what I’ve done. Nothing special, nothing different.’

Reacting to Ange Postecoglou’s comments on Monday night, where the Tottenham boss said ‘I’ll respect the referee’s decision, right or wrong’ after a 4-1 defeat to Chelsea in which two Spurs players were sent off, Arteta said: ‘I fully agree that we have to respect. And that’s what we try to do.

‘To respect them we have to stand there like I did on the touchline the other day. To respect them as well you have to have good trust and the capacity to have a conversation and opinions, that’s how respect is built.’

Arsenal’s focus on Wednesday is Sevilla, who they beat 2-1 away from home last time out. If the Gunners win and PSV lose their respective games, Arsenal are through to the Champions League last 16.

Arteta will be sweating on the fitness of captain Martin Odegaard, who missed the defeat at Newcastle, and Eddie Nketiah, who missed training on Tuesday. Gabriel Jesus is also out.

The Gunner had felt aggrieved by a VAR decision against Brentford last season, before it emerged lines were not even drawn by the video assistants 

Eddie Nketiah missed training on Tuesday with Gabriel Jesus also out injured for the Gunners

Arsenal are also sweating on the fitness of captain Martin Odegaard after Stale Solbakken’s comments 

Norway head coach Stale Solbakken raised the alarm on Odegaard on Tuesday ahead of next week’s international break, telling local media: ‘We are worried about Martin. He is very doubtful. He has an injury that doesn’t seem to let go. We’ll have to see what happens this week.’

Arteta has been left impressed with his players’ maturity in Europe this season, topping Group B at present. He added: ‘We had two very good games (against Sevilla and PSV). 

‘The one against Lens, especially in the second half, we struggled in the first 20-25 minutes of the second half, but overall the presence of the team, the maturity they have shown in big games like this has been really good.

‘But it’s about doing it consistently and tomorrow we’re going to have to do a lot of those things very, very well.’

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