Adrian Clarke has slammed Andy Madley for the lack of minutes he added on at the end of Arsenal’s recent 0-0 draw.
The Lowdown: Arsenal left frustrated
The Gunners were left flustered and angered last night at the Emirates Stadium as they failed to score for the first time this season, with Newcastle United proving to be a stern test.
Mikel Arteta labelled two key decisions that went against his side as ‘scandalous’, with the manager clearly feeling as though his side deserved two spot kicks which could have secured all three points.
Arsenal still hold a commanding lead at the top of the Premier League table, but that won’t change the fact many thought Madley made countless errors, including adding on just five minutes of second-half stoppage time.
The Latest: Clarke slams Andy Madley’s performance
While speaking live on TalkSport, former Arsenal midfielder Clarke admitted he was left ‘surprised’ by the amount of time added on by Madley as the Gunners searched for a winning goal.
He said: “Add up the right time, because I think it was clear for all to see that Newcastle were running down the clock from a pretty early stage, and tactically, I think referees have got to be more aware of things like this and adjust the time accordingly.
“I was really surprised there was only five minutes at the end.”
The Verdict: Arsenal have to become smarter
If Arsenal going to be able to cope with the pressure of being involved in a title charge, they have to become a lot smarter and not bring down their levels when teams come to face them with the sole aim of getting a point and frustrating them.
Newcastle did a good job of restricting Arsenal to very few chances, with the Gunners finishing the game with an xG total of just 1.1, which arguably shows they lost their way of playing on a difficult evening, judging by the usual high standards they’ve played to this term.
As the season draws enters the business end, the pressure will only increase on Arsenal and games will likely become scrappier, so they have to learn how to deal with that and not get drawn into battles that don’t suit them or their style of play, and hopefully, that will account for any poor officiating on the referees’ part.