Arteta strongly disapproved of the decision to allow Anthony Gordon's winning goal at St James' Park, labelling it "embarrassing" and a "disgrace."

In a club statement, Arsenal reiterated their support for Arteta's comments. However, the statement was met with criticism from pundit Gary Neville, who described it as "dangerous."

On Tuesday, Arteta addressed the controversy, emphasizing his responsibility to offer an honest and clear assessment. 

He stated, "My duty is to defend my players and my club in the best possible way. It is what I intend to do time after time. I always do it and will take my responsibility to do it. It's the way I am. I have to defend my club."

Arsenal has been criticising the VAR decisions that favoured Newcastle

The match at Newcastle saw three aspects surrounding Gordon's goal subjected to review by the video assistant referee (VAR) on three different counts: whether the ball went out of play during the build-up, if there was a foul, and if there was an offside. All three reviews favoured Newcastle.

In response, Arsenal characterized the refereeing decisions as "unacceptable," emphasizing that players, coaches, and fans "deserve better."

Arteta further underlined the club's duty to express their feelings based on the available evidence. "We have to stand for our people, our values, and who we are," he stated.

"The club statement shows the unity and the understanding in the club in a clear and honest way. That's our duty as a club. It is nothing special, nothing different. I would do it again, and the club would do it again until this is right."

The defeat against Newcastle marked the end of Arsenal's unbeaten start in the Premier League, leaving them in fourth place and three points behind leaders Manchester City. Arsenal is set to host Sevilla in the Champions League Group B this week (Nov 9, 1:30 AM IST). 

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