Both Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have hit out at Arsenal's damning statement regarding the officiating during Saturday's loss to Newcastle United. The Gunners were defeated 1-0 by the Magpies at St. James' Park, with Anthony Gordon's second-half effort proving the difference.

Gordon's goal was shrouded in controversy as VAR checked for three potential offences in the build-up. Following a lengthy check, the officials decided not to overturn the goal as Eddie Howe's side eventually held on for all three points.

After the full-time whistle, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta came out firing, providing some damning criticism of the refereeing. The north London club then followed this up by releasing a statement on Sunday in which they made it clear that they fully backed the comments from their manager.

But Manchester United legend Neville was left unimpressed, taking to social media to give his thoughts on the statement. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), he said: "I played for a club where a manager went mad after games if we felt a decision had gone against us.

"You feel like it’s us against the world I get it. Everyone hates us, the refs are out to stitch us up and theirs bias v us. However I can never remember the club writing letters undermining the system and the whole refereeing community.

"When I look back now I don’t think as players we always covered ourselves in glory with refs and also at a big club we all feel entitled and you have to leave and retire to be able to see that. Arsenal’s letter and even the Liverpool statement a few weeks ago (they had a genuine bad one v them) are wrong. Do it privately.

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READ MORE: Why Anthony Gordon goal for Newcastle vs Arsenal was given despite three VAR checks

"If I was Howard Webb I would stop apologising to them and get on with it. Managers and players make far more mistakes than refs!"

Neville's fellow pundit Carragher also weighed in on Arsenal's statement, agreeing with his former England international teammate. The Liverpool hero told Sky Sports: "I've just seen Arsenal put a statement out and I don't really agree with that and this happened a few weeks ago with Liverpool, I think it was a different set of circumstances in some ways.

"But I didn't agree really with what Liverpool put out, at the time. I covered the game last night and on the back of Mikel Arteta's interview, I said I loved it and the reason I said that was because I think far too often managers before and after games just speak in cliches and don't really tell us how they feel and I loved the fact that Mikel Arteta was passionate, he was really honest, he was emotional and it was great TV and that's why I loved it.

"I didn't actually agree with what he said in terms you know not being happy about the VAR. I can understand there was three checks of it and then the goal gets given.

"But I'm still searching my head to think what is Mikel Arteta and Arsenal actually unhappy about with that goal? What part of it?

"So, put yourself in Howard Webb's position or VAR, they can't conclusively know whether that ball was in or out and the onfield decision was that the game carried on. So they have to go with that.

"The ball comes in the box, is it a foul? It's probably a 50/50 but it's not a terrible decision, it's not. It can go either way and me being a centre-back, I'd look at Gabriel and say: 'Mate you know what, you should have been stronger, head that away.'

"And the last bit about offside. It wasn't given on the field, very difficult to give it, of course it was. But VAR didn't have an angle or a camera that could see that because of what happened, the ball being so close to Joelinton, everyone being in close proximity. So what do you want VAR to do?

"What do you want the officials to do? Now, you can go and say well we are the Premier League, the money we have got in the league, should we have camera angles that cover single sort of piece of pitch if you like, or the byline here.

"Yeah, I get that, that can be an argument, so it makes it easier for the officials but this is not another one to jump on the bandwagon with VAR and just batter people at Stockley Park and the officials because that's not right. Nothing was conclusive after the goal was given onfield so it has to be a goal. End of story."