Mikel Arteta in red card rant after Arsenal regain top spot in EPL

LONDON – Arsenal are back on top of the English Premier League, but Mikel Arteta claimed their title challenge could be ruined by two rejected red card decisions in their games against Manchester City and Newcastle United.

Arteta’s side are three points clear of second-placed Manchester City after Eberechi Eze’s early strike clinched a vital 1-0 win against Newcastle on April 25.

But the Gunners boss was frustrated with the decision not to send off Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope for a foul on Viktor Gyokeres in the 74th minute at the Emirates.

Pope raced out of his penalty area to clatter Gyokeres, escaping with a yellow card because the Sweden striker was wide on the right wing without a clear sight of goal.

With the prospect of goal difference potentially deciding a gripping title race, Arteta knew Arsenal would have had a chance to rack up a bigger win if Newcastle were reduced to 10 men.

Instead, they had to settle for a result that left them only one goal better off than City in the goal difference column.

Arteta was also still harbouring a grievance from the crucial 2-1 defeat at City on April 19, when Abdukodir Khusanov was not sent off after hauling down Kai Havertz.

The Spaniard believes those two decisions could prove decisive in settling the title race.

“I don’t know why the Newcastle ’keeper wasn’t sent off,” he said.

“I have seen it 10 times. If you have ever watched football, you know it was a red card. These are the margins.

“I am saying the reality of the last two games, in crucial moments with everything at stake, we need things to go our way. I’m not making excuses.

“It was a red card today and a red card in Manchester. If they go our way, we are in a different world today.”

His rant underlined the mounting tension at the Emirates as Arsenal chase a first English title since 2004.

City’s 1-0 win at Burnley on April 22 had knocked Arsenal off top spot for the first time since October, raising the spectre of another title race collapse after their blown leads in 2023 and 2024 gifted the trophy to Pep Guardiola’s men.

Arsenal had lost their previous two league games and four of their last six in all competitions.

Once again, they struggled to impose themselves for long periods against Newcastle, but Eze’s superb strike from a well-worked short corner was enough to settle their nerves.

“We talk about game one and how important that was. We certainly did the job. When it’s 1-0 it’s always tough, especially with the quality of players they brought on,” Arteta said.

“We tried to get a second goal but when you can’t do that you have to win it in other areas.”

City have a game in hand on Arsenal and retain control of the title race.

But Arsenal can move six points clear if they beat Fulham on May 2, before City are next in league action against Everton on May 4.

Said Gunners midfielder Declan Rice: “I think we said after last week that we have to win five games if we want to win the Premier League.

“That’s one down and now four to go. It was about winning, no matter how we win.”

Captain Martin Odegaard added: “This schedule is crazy. We just have to keep going.

“It is the end of the season, just leave everything out that we have inside, fight every single game and we just have to keep going.”

Arteta knows there will be plenty more twists and turns before Arsenal can finally end their long wait for the title.

“We are where we are. I don’t expect after 22 years, it is going to be a path of roses and beautiful music around it,” he said.

“It is so hard to win the Premier League, it is so competitive.

“We have to do what is in our hands. Game one was in our hands. We had to win it and we have done it. We wanted a bigger margin but we were not able to.”

Arteta faces a nervous wait to discover if Eze and Havertz will be fit for the Champions League semi-final, first leg at Atletico Madrid on April 29.

“They are muscular niggles. We don’t think it is too much. We have to see if they are available for Wednesday,” he said. AFP