Mikel Arteta confirms "meetings" with FA over Newcastle charge

After the Gunners lost their Premier League unbeaten run in a 1-0 loss to Newcastle United, Arteta launched a scathing attack on the "embarrassing" officiating standards in the Premier League.

The Spaniard witnessed his side slump to defeat at St James' Park thanks to an Anthony Gordon winner, although the Magpies were only awarded the goal after three separate checks for possible infringements.

Arsenal also felt that Bruno Guimaraes should have been sent off for an apparent elbow on the head of Jorginho, leading Arteta to label the current level of Premier League refereeing "a disgrace".

Arteta risked landing himself in hot water with the FA with his explosive comments, and sure enough, the 41-year-old was charged with misconduct by the governing body a few weeks ago.

Arteta was initially given until November 21 to respond, but that deadline was then extended by another few days, and the Gunners boss is yet to be slapped with any punishment.

Asked for an update on the ongoing process, Arteta told reporters: "No we had some meetings on the evidence, opinions, conclusions and content that we had. We're just waiting to hear."

Arteta was speaking to the press ahead of Saturday's intriguing Premier League clash with high-flying Aston Villa, where the Gunners will seek a seventh win in a row on the back of a captivating 4-3 midweek victory over Luton Town.

Declan Rice's header seven minutes into stoppage time proved decisive in that unforgettable contest, although Arteta was booked during the pandemonium and will not be available on the touchline against Villa due to suspension.

The 41-year-old's yellow card - his third of the season - for "excessive celebrations" led to uproar within the Arsenal fanbase, but while Arteta has resigned himself to his fate, he does not believe that he will ever be able to restrain himself in the heat of the moment.

"I don't know how to stop [celebrating], it was a really emotional moment. You have everybody bouncing around and you lose sense of where you are, and the space that you have to be in. It was unfortunate because now I cannot be next to my team on the touchline but it is a decision that they have made," Arteta added.

"If you look strictly at the rules, yes we cannot do that. But the context is different and then the "we" I think is very important within the context. I would like to be there with my players because we work closely every single day to achieve what we want, which is to win the games in whatever manner.

"When you get those moments in sport, you should be able to do that, but I understand as well there are certain boundaries and you have to respect them, such as when you are in an away ground. But if I was given the chance, I would be there jumping."

With Arteta banned from the dugout this weekend, assistant managers Albert Stuivenberg and Carlos Cuesta will oversee operations at Villa Park, alongside set-piece coach Nicolas Jover.

Arsenal hold a two-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the Premier League rankings ahead of their reunion with former manager Unai Emery, whose third-placed Aston Villa side sunk Manchester City 1-0 on Wednesday for their 14th successive home win in the top flight.

Arteta also revealed that his team have no fresh injuries to worry about for Saturday, leaving Jurrien Timber (knee), Emile Smith Rowe (knee), Thomas Partey (thigh), Fabio Vieira (groin) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) on the sidelines.