Ian Wright disagrees with Gary Neville over Arsenal’s ‘dangerous’ statement after VAR controversy… insisting that he’s ‘happy’ the Gunners backed Mikel Arteta and questions why referees ‘can’t be critiqued’

• Gary Neville described Arsenal’s statement over VAR controversy as ‘dangerous’
• Ian Wright has strongly disagreed with Neville while speaking on The Overlap 
• DOMINIC KING: I don’t understand what football is anymore – It’s All Coming Up

Ian Wright has backed Arsenal’s statement which supported Mikel Arteta over his post-match rant following their defeat to Newcastle last weekend. 

The Arsenal manager delivered a scathing rant towards VAR officials, as he described Anthony Gordon’s winner as ’embarrassing’ and a ‘disgrace’ in his post-match media duties following their 1-0 defeat.

Arsenal strongly backed him in a statement on Sunday, stating that the loss involved more ‘unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors’ and that the Premier League ‘deserves better’. 

Gary Neville described Arsenal’s statement – as well as Liverpool’s one following their controversial loss to Tottenham – as ‘dangerous’ and that clubs should ‘behave better in these circumstances’. 

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast on The Overlap, Ian Wright said he was ‘happy’ the Gunners backed Mikel Arteta, and that the Spaniard was ‘well within his rights’ to criticise officials on the day.

Ian Wright (right) has defended Arsenal for their statement backing Mikel Arteta’s scathing rant

Arteta described Anthony Gordon’s winner as ’embarrassing’ and a ‘disgrace’ after the 1-0 loss

Gary Neville (right) described Arsenal’s decision to back Arteta’s rant ‘as dangerous’

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When asked by Neville whether he was proud of the club for backing Arteta, the Arsenal legend responded: ‘Yeah, I’m pleased that Jurgen Klopp did too because of the gravity of the mistake.

‘I still feel Mikel was well within his rights. I’m happy with them [Arsenal] backing their manager because we’re seeing mistakes on a scale now that, something has to be said.

‘Why shouldn’t the club back him if what Mikel said was fine? Why can’t we critique them?

‘Everybody is complicit with aspects of the way that referees are, they have their own shows, they’re on co-commentary, they’re in it and they’re a part of the entertainment now for the clicks!’

Neville in response doubled down on his criticism of the Gunners handling of the incident.

He responded: ‘My point is that, this is Arsenal Football Club. An institution, one of the founding Premier League clubs – they’re partly responsible for the rules that are in place – you can’t just turn on your own, publicly.

‘It’s the Premier League referees. The managers can [critique referees], the coaches can, the players can, the fans can, the pundits can, but can the clubs come out – like Arsenal and Liverpool – and question sporting integrity, mention replays and looking at their options? To me that is really dangerous.’

In the build-up to Arsenal’s Champions League victory over Sevilla, Arteta defended his comments from the weekend.

Wright questioned why referees ‘can’t be critiqued’ in response to Neville’s criticism

VAR has come increasingly under scrutiny this season following controversial decisions – heightened by Liverpool’s wrongly disallowed goal against Tottenham in October

He said: ‘It is my duty to stand in front of the cameras and give a very clear and honest assessment of what happens in the game. This is what I did.

‘Reflect very openly how I felt the team played and how the game was conditioned by the decisions that were made.

‘My duty is to defend my players, club and people in the best possible way. This is what I’m going to do time after time and I do it, not the way I feel, (but) with the evidence and being as clear as possible. I always do it. It’s the way I am and I have to defend my club.’

Mail Sport revealed this week that Arsenal are set to cite refereeing decisions that have gone against them since last campaign in their next meeting in a bid to prove a pattern. 

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