Mikel Arteta’s VAR rant was ‘unnecessary’ and would not have happened in my day, says ex-Arsenal chief

MIKEL ARTETA’S rant was "unnecessary" and risked damaging Arsenal’s image.

Ex-Gunners vice-chairman David Dein insists the Spaniard calling decisions "embarrassing" and "a disgrace" would not have happened during his reign.

He claims boss Arteta’s tirade over Newcastle’s controversial winner earlier this month was to distract from a poor performance.

Asked how he would have handled the situation, Dein, 80, said: "It would not have happened.

"It did not do the image of the club any good. But it’s an emotional game."

On talkSPORT’s Sunday Edition, Dein, who oversaw five title triumphs during his time at Arsenal between 1983 and 2007, added: "He felt aggrieved — but it was a bit of misdirection.

"Arsenal only had one shot at goal so you can’t say they deserved to win."

Arteta was heavily criticised for his comments following Arsenal's 1-0 defeat at St James' Park.

He said: "I have praised my players for the performance and the way that we played - we didn’t deserve to lose the match.

"We lost the match because of the clear and obvious decisions.

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"It’s embarrassing. It’s a disgrace. That’s what it is, a disgrace."

Following the match, the Premier League's Key Match Incident Panel supported the decision to allow Anthony Gordon's goal to stand.

However, they also claimed both Kai Havertz and Bruno Guimaraes should have received red cards.

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