Mikel Arteta manipulation of the media is now laid bare – Quite incredible | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta took all three points back to London on Sunday.

However, he had another victory to add to that.

Mikel Arteta yet again successfully winning the media manipulation award.

To be fair, he has had enough practice.

I find it quite incredible that as well as the his players scoring more goals than Newcastle United, the Arsenal boss also managed to score more points with the media.

Somehow, the narrative after the game is about Mikel Arteta and his team having the worst of it, when it came to match officials making decisions across the match.

There are a number of incidents I want to reference, in the order that they happened during this Newcastle 1 Arsenal 2 match.

The Gyokeres ‘penalty’ incident

A poor and unnecessary Murphy backpass was too weak, leading Gyokeres one on one with Pope. The pair come together and the Arsenal striker goes down. The referee (Jarred Gillett) gives the penalty but then the VAR (Darren England) directs the on-pitch referee to the pitchside monitor and that decision overturned.

This is what Mikel Arteta said after the match about this incident::

“We were instructed very clearly this season, that unless it is a clear and obvious error, the VAR is not going to intervene. It is not, so that is my opinion. Thank God we found a way to win the game.”

The clear Mikel Arteta message is that Arsenal would supposedly have been left cheated by this early non-penalty (and possible red card for Nick Pope) if they hadn’t won the match.

I just find it ridiculous for Arteta to be claiming this.

What it all came down to for me, was whether or not Nick Pope played the ball before he made contact with Gyokeres. The Arsenal player was running towards him and by the time they both went to try and play the ball, a coming together of the two players was impossible to avoid.

If the TV replays had shown that the Newcastle keeper hadn’t made contact with the ball, then it was 100% a penalty and almost certainly a card, yellow or red for Pope.

However, the TV replays showed that Gyokeres got to the ball and then when he played it, Nick Pope blocked the ball with his leg, then the pair came together and the Arsenal striker threw himself theatrically to the ground, making it look as dramatic as possible.

It is simply embarrassing for Mikel Arteta to claim this should have been a penalty. Once he saw the TV replays he knows fine well that Pope played the ball. Put it this way, he would have been absolutely raging if such a penalty was given against Raya. Which tells you everything.

Nick Woltemade scoring

Tonali crosses and Woltemade heads the opening goal.

Gabriel was marking him and when he realised he wasn’t going to win the header, he threw himself to the ground after minimal contact from the German striker.

Mikel Arteta and his players, especially Gabriel, not happy about this. Claiming the goal should have been disallowed. However, no way was there enough contact to have it disallowed.

Nick Woltemade and Gabriel after the goal

This was very similar to the Van Dijk and Gordon incident in the Newcastle 3 Liverpool 3 game. In that match, Van Dijk deliberately elbowed Gordon in the penalty area and it should have been a penalty and red card. The Liverpool defender clearly changed direction and it was so obvious, very cynical. The referee refused to give it and the VAR backed him up.

This time, with Gabriel upset about having allowed Woltemade to score, made it his business to then run into the Newcastle striker and make similar contact as Van Dijk did. Yet the referee and VAR refused to see anything wrong.

Tino Livramento ending up stretchered off

This arguably changed the course of the game. Tino is one of Newcastle’s best and fittest/quickest players. Stretchered off on 77 minutes when United were leading, could/would he have made the difference?

Equally as important though is how Mikel Arteta and the media seemingly, are desperate to see nothing wrong with this incident other than it deserved a free-kick.

Anybody who has played football, knows this is one of the most dangerous things that can happen. Where many really bad injuries occur. You jump for a header, your opponent makes no attempt to do so, instead cynically running into you whilst you are in mid-air, this inevitably usually means you are then out of control when you come to land, having been knocked off-balance.

Saliba cynically did this after Tino had jumped for the ball. For me it should have been a red card because he knew absolutely what he was doing and how dangerous it made it for Livramento. Often in these cases when in id-air and knocked off-balance, you end up hurting your back or neck. For Tino, it was a bad landing for his leg and stretchered off, potentially a season ending knee injury, yet not even a yellow card for Saliba, never mind a red one. Unbelievable.

The Elanga ‘penalty’ incident

Arsenal have just equalised and Newcastle break, a great ball by Bruno feeds Elanga on the right edge of the box. The Newcastle winger crosses the ball but it clearly hits the sliding Gabriel’s outstretched arm.

Summing up how he gave Newcastle next to nothing throughout the match, the Aussie referee didn’t give a penalty. Instead, when the ball went out of play there was a VAR review announced. The VAR said no penalty because Elanga’s cross had struck Gabriel’s shin before hitting his outstretched arm.

A few things here. The ball did hit the defender’s shin first but it didn’t alter the direction the ball was heading in. It wasn’t a case where say it hits the defender’s leg and that sends it in a totally different direction then strikes an outstretched arm. If the ball hadn’t brushed against Gabriel’s shin first, it would still have hit his arm. Whilst I also think that if Jarred Gillett had given the penalty first, would VAR have then judged it enough to get him to change that decision?

All in all, it was Eddie Howe and Newcastle United that had by far the worst of decisions made by match officials on Sunday, yet the media narrative successfully driven by Mikel Arteta is that it was Arsenal who were badly done to.

Never in a million years would I want a despicable character like Mikel Arteta managing Newcastle United. However, it does make you wonder that if Eddie Howe wasn’t such a decent character with integrity, who doesn’t look to make excuses or be so desperate to influence the media and by doing so, potentially future decision making in matches by match officials. If Eddie acted like Mikel Arteta, would Newcastle United get more decisions going their way, especially with the help of media prepared to blindly push his agenda? As is the case with the Arsenal manager.

Newcastle 1 Arsenal 2 – Sunday 28 September 2025 4.30pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Woltemade 34

Arsenal:

Merino 84, Gabriel 90+6

Possession was Newcastle 36% Arsenal 64%

Total shots were Newcastle 8 Arsenal 20

Shots on target were Newcastle 3 Arsenal 7

Corners were Newcastle 7 Arsenal 12

Touches in the box Newcastle 17 Arsenal 43

Newcastle team v Arsenal:

Pope, Livramento (Lascelles 77), Thiaw, Botman, Burn, Bruno, Joelinton (Barnes 94), Tonali, Gordon (Trippier 67), Woltemade (Osula 67), Murphy (Elanga 66)

Subs:

Ramsdale, Krafth, Willock, Miley

(Newcastle 1 Arsenal 2 – Match ratings and comments on all Newcastle United players – Read HERE)

(Newcastle 1 Arsenal 2 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction – Read HERE)

Newcastle United fixtures (All of the Champions League matches will also be available to watch on TV in the UK):

Wednesday 1st October: Union SG vs Newcastle United (5.45pm)

Sunday 5 October– Newcastle v Forest (2pm) Sky Sports

Saturday 18 October – Brighton v Newcastle (3pm)

Tuesday 21st October: Newcastle United vs Benfica (8pm)

Saturday 25 October – Newcastle v Fulham (3pm)