Mikel Arteta spoke to TNT Sport after Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton this afternoon. Here’s how he responded to their questions.
What explanation have you been given for the red card?
No, nothing, like always.
Based on ‘letter of the law’ are you satisfied with the idea Rice’s ‘offence’ was worthy of a second yellow card.
If that happens throughout the game in a consistent way, that’s fine. But it didn’t happen in the first half. There were a number of occasions where they kicked the ball away and nothing happened. So it’s inconsistency, especially because as well it’s in an area that is not critical and on top of that, if you make make that call then you have to give a red card as well [to Veltman].
Is it a bigger blow to lose someone like Rice?
If we had to play with 10, they had to play with 10 because then it’s a red card on Veltman.
How much will you miss Rice in the North London derby?
I don’t know, we are thinking about only the game and analysing this game.
Saka and Havertz, is their connection developing?
Yes, but it was unbelievable the way the team reacted because even with 10 men playing 49 minutes or 48 minutes like this, we should have won the game.
I love that he made sure to shake the referee’s hand after the game, fully knowing that he was going to call out his bs in the post-match.
Good point in context (context being cheating).
The way PGMOL find new, innovative ways to send off our players …
They practice hard at it all week, blogs
Funding’s under review looks like – https://www.theguardian.com/football/article/2024/aug/28/pgmol-cash-shortfall-referees-premier-league-talks-football .
If we don’t find a way to make sure they fundamentally change…
They’ll get all the money they need from Abu Dhabi
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4922732/2023/10/03/referees-var-diaz-liverpool/
Of course, they go there for their side gigs afterall:
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/premier-league-referees-continue-freelancing-151052260.html&ved=2ahUKEwjBvbvXwJ-IAxWkvokEHZX4I7IQFnoECCwQAQ&usg=AOvVaw0hV8kbtC22nLnVsX03Zu_8
Martinelli two yellows one play, Tomiasu red for a taking a throw in 8 second after getting the ball, xhaka first red ever and since for a professional foul… Anyone got any more?
David Luiz penalty foul for running in his box, where his heel accidentally touched opposition player in super slow motion.
Brentford goal where Lee Mason simply forgot to draw the lines to check for offside.
Titus Bramble pushing Arshavin’s arse as hard as he could just as he was about to pull the trigger.
Can list more but don’t want my blood pressure to keep rising.
OMG I still have trauma from that Luiz red card. The guy literally brushed Luiz’s knee from his own incompetent running style and Luiz got a red card. I feel I’m cold and numb to everything referee-wise that has happened ever since.
Newcastle- failed three times to do their job (ball out of play, offside, handball) and goal stood because of insufficient evidence- apparently checking the camera view before a match starts isn’t part of the prep
That was an absolute joke. My wife made me promise to control my blood pressure when watching football. She asked me earlier why the referee did not undo the 2nd yellow for Rice upon seeing the shambolic replays. I told her it is what it is, the refs just aren’t worth it. No emotion left. She’s proud of me now.
I mean technically blogs was limiting this to the FA finding new ways to send off our players, that’s an important clause, because there is no space here to list all the other infractions…
Winning goal against Crystal Palace ruled out for a ‘foul’ by Calum Chambers for being fouled in the first place.
All in one game vs Southampton (VAR in use)
-Southampton player punching and throttling our players without getting a card, let alone a red
-Gabriel Jesus pulled back in the box with no penalty given
-Saka given a yellow card for being fouled
Declan didn’t kick a ball which was positioned by the defender, the ball was always moving. Aren’t free kicks only valid with when the ball is static. It wasn’t a valid kick.
It is now critical to beat Man City. If they beat us, they will be a five-point gap.
That’s the bottom line.
We’ll only be up against arguably the most well oiled winning machine of all time. Put together with atrocity money, breaking of the financial rules and cheating while propped up by a corrupt referees governing body with the league itself looking the other way.
Shit yeah! And we only
Have 30-something games left!
Lack of consistency is a constant source of frustration.
A protest against PGMOL from all fans across the league is only when something would bring about a change.
But looking at the game, the red card did change it but if we are really aiming for the title, we need to take our chances. It is too early in the season we will find form eventually but need to be ruthless and put the game to bed, that red card can’t be deemed as the ball is literally never been in a stationary position, it was always moving.
Rice and Partey seems to be wrong midfield combination. Maybe try Jorginho instead
We’ll get a chance to see if you’re right in a fortnight
The ref has every “right” to give the second yellow. But he has to be consistent in the application of the law as arteta says! That’s the problem.
I don’t get why he would get a yellow card at all. He was walking away and the player threw it into Rice direction and you can just kick a player because he kinda in your way. It’s bullshite!!!
And the ball is moving, he literally cannot make that restart
its painful but this is our only argument. letter of the law can be applied loosely. Rice did hinder the taking of the kick. ok ticks that box. what about the fact the ball was kicked into him? his ‘touch’ was knocking a ball that was kicked into him back towards the area of the foul. the ball was rolling when veltman attempted to take the quick free kick, even without the touch the ball was not stationary. veltman has no way of knowing where the ball will end up when he kicks it towards rice, then swings massively missing… Read more »
Restarts cannot be taken when the ball is moving, so he didn’t delay anything
100%. Ask yourself why VAR didn’t point that out? The agenda is real.
Cos, for some stupid reason, VAR can only get involved if it’s a straight red
Hope we appeal it
I’d give that ref the right to leave his dirty bribe money by the door and fuck off from reffing for the rest of his life.
RAGE – this is all
We live in a world where fraudsters are the billionaires, politicians and/or criminals that control everything and set the rules. Success is achieved by the degree of fraud and scamming and explain you are prepared to do. #DumpsterFire
Sad but accurate.
They are consistent with their inconsistency.
Arteta will be suspended for the nld now because he Gabe his honest opinion about bad officiating that we all saw.
Speaking of managers’ complaints, I’d also like to be petty and ask why the Brighton manager didn’t get a 2nd yellow card at the end of the game for criticising the referee for making one of the only correct decisions in our favour.
I see real consistency with PGMOL. They constantly find ways to take points off us, season after season. A City player falls to the ground in the box and the referee will whistle for a penalty within half a second. Meanwhile Arsenal player gets fouled, the ref will wait for the VAR to intervene, and the latter will say there’s no clear and obvious error. They do this consistently so props to PGMOL for holding themselves to such high standards.
Kavanagh is consistent though. He took two points off us last season as well when he gave that shitty handball penalty against Saliba at the Bridge that cost us then.
Useless fucker of his own mother. Fuming
Also failed to give us a pen when dunk used his arm to block a goalbound shot today…
That was pretty suss, he was so far from the ball, but his arm was at least by his side. It’s a pen the other way for sure…
Never a penalty.
Good to know, next time he refs us I’m gonna stick some money on us losing points
I know I’m going to get pelters for this but to me the real problem is the lack of a natural goal scorer. We should’ve been 3 nil up at halftime and none of this would’ve happened or mattered.
We have to find a way to be more clinical and take the many chances created, 1 nil is always an edgy scoreline. If we don’t address that, I don’t think we’ll beat man city to the title.
I too love to ride my hobby horse into an unrelated area
eh?
Yup. How about we analyze how poor we were today instead of fixating on the ref…
You can bet that no one else will be sent off this season for this…
It happened with Tomiyasu last season with the stupid time wasting rule
Don’t forget the Martinelli send off. Been watching or playing football for nigh on 60 years, in at least 5 different countries, never seen that before or after
Apparently there was one time it happened, which people pointed out at the time. The fact that there was only one example anyone could think of (and the fact that they were able to recall it specifically) is testament to the fact that no referee ever gives it unless they’ve got a vendetta against someone.
Didn’t the ref say after the match that he was getting frustrated with Arsenal wasting time? If there ever was a case to demote a ref that was clearly it.
I completely forgot about the Veltman one. This is beyond the pale, there needs to be protests these dead eyed fucks will rob us of a title.
But think of how much they’ll enjoy those Dubai timeshares
Random application of the rulebook is not acceptable at this level. To give that red is antifootball. To have the right to give it is doubtful. To allow an elbow in the face of Saka, and then think you refereeing is so 100%, that you need to give that red… that’s what most refs understand. I doubt we will see another red given for this – ever.
Just home from the game – sense of injustice and frustration at ref’s inconsistency and basic lack of common sense. He ruined the game.
Kudos to the crowd for being loud and positive until the end. Fucking disgrace of a referee and a gutting result but the team were brave in defence and the crowd was there for them.
FA doesn’t make any serious attempts to improve refs because shit decisions drive engagement. The controversy dramas makes the game worse, but probably makes league more popular
What’s the real offence here? Where should they prioritise? The violent conduct against a player or prodding the ball away?
Potentially breaking a players shin bone is obviously a minor infraction compared to standing still for 5 seconds.
Yeah, I mean he has no other intention expect to use the ball being close to Rice as an excuse to kick the fuck out of him. And again the ball is moving, he cannot take that restart, there is NO delay from Rice. IMO Mikel isn’t even correct saying that it’s the letter of the law [just applied insistently].
it would help to score more often and sooner in the game…
They hate us. The english refs. Brexiter xenophobic twats. They are seething from when Arsene beat them all and became undefeated champion delivering a mastercalss in team building, tactics and overall club organisation and structure with no money amd with multi-ethnic multi-religious group of pros delivering like a family/team. Bitter pill to swallow for the domestic neanderthals “this is our game” kick and hoof…cunts. What we need is a badass Dein/Kenyon type to ensure noone fucks with us be it media or pgmol. Fuck you Alex Ferguson, Mcleish, Pulis, Phil Dowd, Bennet, Elery, Dean, Atkison all them filthy disgraceful subhuman… Read more »
Quality rant, can’t disagree with a word. Pulitzer potential.
I disagree with this. There is no lack of consistency. It’s extremely fucking consistent in fact. We are getting fucked – consistently.
I take Arteta”s point and was a great believer in him at my beloved Arsenal However i feel that Arsenal had a poor summer window and not at all impressed with signings Even though Haveetz scored today we still need another striker not somwone from Chelsea who has done nothing for two years We have bought an Italian defender who is too rash and a red xard in waiting Merino who is already injured and a 35 yeae old goalkeeper Edu has failed this summer and i hate saying it with tye squad we have now we will not win… Read more »
We don’t win anything this year, heads need to roll. Mistakes in squad management are becoming more and more apparent now.
What on earth are you talking about??
Every week, Arsenal social media needs to post a clip of all the times a ball is kicked away and no card is issued. I bet it could be dozens per weekend.
It was very obvious that the referee wouldn’t be fair that from the very beginning when the back committed a tough foul against Saka, he let game on What a surprise! Referees spoil Arsenal matches as usual. The FAss. Ablogise!!!!!
Concerning the red card(like always) as Artetta said.
Lower league fan here (Wycombe) without a dog in the fight. The mere fact that refs go and officiate out in the middle east raises suspicion, whether true or not, that they are going to favour Man City and/or Newcastle over other sides. When things like this happen, it just reinforces that feeling. The PL should try and be above suspicion, but everything about how they have handled middle eastern involvements, from Man City’s ownership to the refs, has brought the game into disrepute. I know a lot of lower league fans don’t bother watching the PL any more because… Read more »
Whether Rice should or shouldn’t have got a red card is side issue for me. The main issue was Veltman violently assaulted Rice without getting a red card. The referee was clearly not up to the job.
Football is fixed.
Tell me a C115y player gets a card for that.
Can someone explain how the following is wrong? Watching the play: the Brighton lad, Veltman, falls down on the ball after some barging with Rice. Ref blows up to award a free kick to Brighton. The ball is *motionless on the spot of the foul at that moment*, where it was trapped by Veltman’s legs. Veltman pops up and puts the ball into motion. Either (1) Veltman has taken the free kick and it’s a live ball; or (2) Veltman *had possession of the dead ball first* — he had everything he needed to legitimately restart play — and he… Read more »
I have never been so angry about a refereeing decision. Normally I think fans make way too much of refereeing errors but this to me is the most insane decision I’ve ever seen. just incredulous.
You are dishonest to your federation.
“No, nothing, as always.”
Brilliant from Arteta, very Wenger, very Graham, very Neil, very Mee….I could go on….
Still, when the anti-Arsenal brigade are in full voice (when are they not?) you know two things.
1. They fear us.
2. When we eventually triumph (and we will, we always do in the end) it will be all the more sweeter knowing how utterly sick to the stomach that lot are.
COYG
I can’t believe we haven’t challenged this, it’s a throw in.
Rice committed the foul, the ball was stationary where the foul was committed, Veltman kicking the ball forward means the free kick was taken and the ball was in play. Rice kicks it out so it’s a throw.
If the ref decides that the kick has not been taken then book Veltman for kicking the ball away from the place where the kick should be taken from.