"He is living the game through us" - Arsenal star claims Gunners squad 'loved' Mikel Arteta's rant after VAR controversy in loss to Newcastle

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has revealed that the team loved Mikel Arteta's rant following the VAR controversy after their 1-0 loss at Newcastle United on November 4. The Englishman claimed that the tactician was living the game through the group while showering him with praise.

Arsenal suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season against Newcastle United on Saturday in a controversial game.

The ball was close to the byline prior to Anthony Gordon bagging the winner for Newcastle in the 64th minute. A lengthy VAR check was conducted to see if the ball had indeed gone out of play and to see if there was a foul on Gabriel by Joelington. The goal was also checked for offside but was eventually allowed to stand.

After the game, an angry Arteta went on a full rant as he criticized the officiating and insisted that the goal shouldn't have stood.

"I have praised my players for the way they played and competed in this stadium against this team. The result should not be what it is - there are many reasons for that. If there was a team looking to win the game today it was Arsenal," he told BBC's Match of the Day.

"Embarrassing what happened - how this goal stands, in the Premier League - this league we say is the best in the world. I've been 20 years in this country and now I feel ashamed. It's a disgrace and there's too much at stake here. We are trying to do incredible things and be at the highest level each week."

Mikel Arteta's comments have attracted contrasting reactions from the football world. While some believe the tactician was right with those comments, others feel he went too far. Regardless, Declan Rice has revealed that Arsenal's squad are satisfied with their manager's words.

"We love it. I think you see how passionate he is. He sometimes gets criticised for how he is on the sidelines, but he is living the game through us," the midfielder told reporters.

The Gunners bounced back from that 1-0 defeat to beat Sevilla 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League on November 7.

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How have Arsenal fared so far this season?

It's been a promising start for Arsenal so far this season. The Gunners have shown that they mean business with their eye-catching performances and commendable results since the campaign kicked off.

As it stands, they occupy the fourth position in the Premier League table with 24 points in 11 games, three points below leaders Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta's men have also had a promising start to their UEFA Champions League campaign. They sit atop Group B with nine points, having won three of their four games so far. Unfortunately, they've been knocked out of the EFL Cup following a 3-1 defeat to West Ham United earlier this month.

The north London side will next host Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday, November 11.