'He antagonises' - Former Newcastle United manager slams Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta after St James Park defeat

Former Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew as accused Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta of being antagonistic with his comments in the aftermath of his side’s defeat against the Magpies.

The Spanish boss has been involved in a number of stormy affairs with Newcastle in recent seasons and was at the heart of some pointed comments after his side suffered a controversial 1-0 defeat on Tyneside last November. However, there was nothing controversial as Eddie Howe’s side inflicted a second consecutive St James Park loss on the Gunners with a hardworking, disciplined and intense display on Saturday afternoon that had all the hallmarks of the sort of performance that became commonplace during the Magpies successful push for a Champions League two seasons ago.

With Italy international Sandro Tonali dropped to the bench as Howe opted to field Joe Willock, Bruno Guimaraes and Sean Longstaff in midfield and Joelinton in a position on the left-hand side of the front three, Newcastle kept their visitors at bay for large parts of the game and claimed a big three points to round off a satisfying few days on Tyneside. The game was won by a genuine moment of quality as Anthony Gordon’s stunning cross from the right was met by a powerful header from Alexander Isak that ensured the Sweden striker score for the third consecutive game.

However, the post-match talk surrounded Arteta’s comments that Newcastle ‘dragged’ his own side into the sort of game they wanted to play and suggesting the Magpies relied on being direct and physical. The comments irked former United manager Pardew, who believes Arteta should have focused on his own side’s shortcomings during their defeat at St James.

He told talkSPORT: “I was really upset with Mikel Arteta because, sometimes, he antagonises the media and antagonises the opposition. He came out with a line of ‘We were dragged into a game they wanted to play. I have had that as a manager before. You have beaten a top team and then, suddenly, they are questioning your style and the way you have gone about the victory. There’s not a cast-iron beautiful way to win a game of football. You just need to win.

“Sometimes you don’t have to play a beautiful game to win it. You just have to be effective in what you do and the pressing and organisation from Newcastle was absolutely spot-on. Arsenal had only one shot on target. That is what Mikel Arteta should really question and not the opposition.”

The Magpies are back in action on Sunday afternoon when they face a tough-looking visit to in-form Nottingham Forest.