Gary Neville strongly criticized Arsenal for what he deemed a “risky” statement concerning referees and VAR. This came in the wake of Arsenal publicly supporting their manager, Mikel Arteta, who had vehemently criticized the officiating and the decision to allow Anthony Gordon’s match-winning goal in a recent game against Newcastle. The controversial goal had withstood three lengthy VAR checks, and Arsenal was particularly upset about Joelinton’s challenge on Gabriel and the possible ball out of play in the build-up.
Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration, saying he felt “sick” and was “ashamed” of the decision. Arsenal then released a statement expressing their full support for Arteta’s comments, also calling for improvements in officiating standards and collaboration with Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb.
Neville, during his appearance as a co-commentator on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football, criticized Arsenal’s statement, deeming it “poor” and “dangerous.” He cited Liverpool’s earlier statement that questioned sporting integrity and suggested a replay as another example of such behavior. Neville emphasized the need for clubs to adhere to the new behavioral charter they signed at the start of the season.
He argued that the Premier League leadership needs to protect referees, as the transparency and communication initiatives at the beginning of the season are being undermined by clubs’ actions. Neville believed that Arsenal, being a prominent football institution, should have conducted themselves better and cautioned that they might regret their statement in the future. He suggested that this behavior sets uncharted territory and that clubs should be brought in line by the Premier League and other clubs.
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