Alan Shearer believes Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta needs to 'have a word with himself' and accused the Spaniard of 'talking nonsense' after his antics during Tuesday's goalless draw with Newcastle United. The Gunners manager lost his temper on the Emirates touchline after accusing the Magpies of second-half time-wasting and bemoaning the fact his side weren't awarded two penalties.
Arteta clashed with Eddie Howe in the final minutes of stoppage time after Granit Xhaka's cross struck Jacob Murphy on the arm from close range. Both referee Andrew Madley and VAR opted against awarding a penalty, which left Arteta fuming at the final whistle.
Shearer, who was on punditry duty for Optus Sport during the 0-0 stalemate, took aim at the Arsenal coach and his 'disrespectful' antics after the clash. “I think Mikel Arteta needs to have a word with himself or his assistants need to have a word with him and calm him down," Shearer said.
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“He’s disrespectful to the opposition, he’s making it hard for the referees who have a difficult enough job as it is anyway. I get that he wants to be animated on the touchline but if his players were behaving like him he wouldn’t like it, it would cost them.
“In my opinion he needs to calm down. I get the big stakes, I get they’re top of the league, I get it’s an emotional game, but he’s making it very, very difficult for referees and he’s being disrespectful to the opposition.
“The players know they’re under pressure but when you see the manager on the touchline behaving like that, he has to calm down. He’s the one who has to make the tough decisions and stay calm – or try and stay calm – in difficult situations. At times he’s gone crazy on the touchline, it can’t be helpful can it?"
Arteta's anger hadn't lessened by the time he spoke to the media after the game, with the Spaniard labelling the decision not to award Arsenal two penalties 'scandalous'. Shearer saw it differently and accused the former Manchester City assistant of talking rubbish.
"I think he’s talking absolute nonsense, I really do," Shearer added. "I would like to say it another way but I can’t. I think it’s really dangerous language he’s using as well, calling it scandalous.
“He has to be really careful because he’s got a really young team who have never been in this position before and it’s difficult enough and if your manager can’t keep his head then you’ve got problems. The referees will be looking at that and whether it’s right or wrong they won’t like that type of language he’s using or the reaction on the touchline to the fourth official, the assistants and the referee. That, in the future, could work against him if it doesn’t change.”
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