Arsenal have expressed their full support for manager Mikel Arteta following his criticism of the officiating during Saturday's Premier League loss to Newcastle United.

Arteta called on the referees' body (PGMOL) to examine the refereeing standards.

Arteta openly expressed his feelings of being "embarrassed" and "sick" after Anthony Gordon's controversial goal in Newcastle's 1-0 victory over his team.

He delivered a harsh critique of the match officials and the overall standards of the Premier League.

Despite an extended VAR review that considered whether the ball went out of play, if there was a foul in the build-up, and for potential offside, the goal was allowed to stand. This defeat marked Arsenal's first loss of the league season.

"Arsenal Football Club wholeheartedly supports Mikel Arteta's post-match comments after yet more unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors on Saturday evening," the club said in a statement on Sunday.

"The Premier League is the best league in the world, with the best players, coaches and supporters, all of whom deserve better.

"PGMOL urgently needs to address the standard of officiating and focus on action, which moves us all on from retrospective analysis, attempted explanations and apologies."

The PGMOL has been under increasing pressure this season after several VAR decisions stirred debates, the most high-profile being the "human error" that led to a legitimate Liverpool goal against Tottenham Hotspur being chalked off.