"Antagonises the media and antagonises the opposition" - Pundit calls out Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta for comments after Newcastle loss

Alan Pardew has slammed Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta for his comments after the Gunners lost 1-0 to Newcastle United. The two sides faced off in their Premier League clash at St. James' Park on November 2, with the Magpies coming out winners.

Arteta was clearly not pleased with the performance of his players on the day, as he shared his frustration with the press after the game. He noted that the Gunners deserved to lose the match. However, Arteta seemed to take a swipe at Newcastle when he added (via The Guardian):

“We got dragged into the game Newcastle wanted and not the one we wanted. But you have to be at your best in every game to give you a chance to win.”

Former Newcastle boss Alan Pardew did not take kindly to these comments. The pundit questioned Arteta's attitude in a conversation on talkSPORT, where he said (via Tribal Football):

"I was really upset with Arteta because, sometimes, he antagonises the media and antagonises the opposition. He came out with a line, 'We were dragged into a game they wanted to play.'

"I've had that as a manager before. You've beaten a top team and, then, suddenly, they're questioning your style and the way you've gone about the victory. There's not a cast-iron beautiful way to win a game of football. You just need to win.”

Pardew continued, with some advice for the Arsenal manager:

"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 organization from Newcastle was absolutely spot-on. Arsenal had one shot on target. That's what Arteta should really question - not the opposition."

Indeed, the Gunners were second-best in attack, as they had only one shot on target from 10 shots in total. Newcastle were more clinical with four shots on target out of nine in total, and they punished the Gunners.

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Mikel Arteta demands improvement from Arsenal players ahead of Inter Milan clash

Mikel Arteta has demanded that his lads improve in their upcoming Champions League game against Serie A giants Inter Milan. Their loss against Newcastle means that they have failed to win three Premier League matches in a row. They will hope it does not affect their UEFA Champions League campaign.

Speaking after the defeat, Arteta called for a reaction to the loss (via One Football):

“The reaction has to come on the pitch on Wednesday evening. We need to give our best to have a chance to win."

Arsenal will hope they can showcase their best on November 6 at the San Siro, where they take on Inter. They will be wary about the Nerazzurri, who have won seven Serie A games this season, losing just once in 11 games.