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‘It would have been scandalous if it had happened’: Gary Neville disagrees with Mikel Arteta’s claim that Arsenal should have had a stoppage time penalty in the Newcastle equalizer, but says Dan Burn was lucky to not conceding a penalty before
Gary Neville has responded to Mikel Arteta’s claims that his team were outrageously denied two penalties by suggesting that it would indeed have been an outrage if Arsenal had been given a handball penalty on death.
Arteta looked frustrated on the touchline for much of the night as Newcastle successfully frustrated his team throughout, denying them the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to 10 points while holding the hosts to a close. draw 0-0.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Arteta was open about his frustrations, baring to the reporter his grievances about decisions he felt denied his team.
Mikel Arteta was furious that his team did not receive two ‘outrageous’ penalties on Tuesday
The Arsenal boss frequently protested decisions during the affair in the Emirates.
“Extremely proud of my players,” he said. ‘The way we played, dominated the game, tried and continued to control the game.
‘We needed that spark in the last third. We had many situations. And when he had two scandalous penalties.
“There were two penalties. It’s very simple. I’m talking about what I’ve seen. They were two scandalous penalties. I’m very proud of the job we’ve done.
Gary Neville disagreed with Mikel Arteta that his team were ‘outrageously’ denied two penalties
The Arsenal players surrounded the referee in death because they felt they should have been given a handball penalty.
“I think we lacked an extra touch or move to end these opportunities in this game.”
However, when asked to do his bit in handball, Neville went completely the other way for the Arsenal manager, suggesting that he would be ‘furious’ if it had gone against his team.
“I thought it would have been scandalous if it had happened,” he said.
‘If Arteta had lost a game because of that, he would be furious. You can’t have your arms at your sides when you slide.
‘That’s not a penalty: you go in like this to block a cross, that’s not a penalty in a million years. I would have been furious if that had been against Ben White, [Takehiro] Tomiyasu or Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Gary Neville said it would have been ‘outrageous’ if they had been awarded the penalty
Arteta’s protest over a death penalty appeared to upset the Newcastle bench, with Eddie Howe even chiming in to tell the Spaniard what he thought about his alleged attempts to influence the referees.
Neville said of Howe’s actions: “The handball one at the end, Howe was right to answer on that one.”
Paul Merson, working alongside Neville, agreed. ‘I can’t make a case for it [being a penalty],’ he said. ‘I’m disappointed if that goes against me. I think Burn’s tug is more of a penalty for me.
Neville and Les Ferdinand agreed with Merson’s assessment of Burn’s jerk, both admitting that Arsenal had legitimate reasons to feel aggrieved by the non-interference of VAR after the Newcastle defender appeared to grab too much of Gabriel’s shirt. on a free kick.
Arteta was involved in a feud with Eddie Howe over his late-game protests.
“In my opinion, that’s a stone wall penalty,” Merson said. ‘His fist is clenched. That’s a foul everywhere else on the field. We’ve seen bookings for less tonight.
‘I don’t understand how that is not clear and obvious. It’s a clear penalty. He has taken over his shirt,’ agreed the former Newcastle striker. ‘If the players collide with each other, you can understand that the referees wave it in the box. But if you grab someone’s jersey and it’s as clear as day, that’s a penalty.
Neville added: ‘VAR officials with Howard Webb have been told not to get involved unless necessary. Arteta has a right to be upset about that. Newcastle were very lucky there. I think they (Arsenal) have a right to feel aggrieved.’
Merson went a bit further, suggesting that the failure to award a penalty for Burn’s jerk on Gabriel was due to a lesser understanding of the game by officials at the VAR base.
“They don’t have an understanding of the game at Stockley Park,” he said.
‘That is so clear and obvious. Anywhere else and it’s a free throw. We saw that players were booked for less.