Man Utd legend Gary Neville accuses Mikel Arteta of influencing Arsenal fans to slam ‘corrupt and cheating’ referees
Man Utd legend Gary Neville accuses Mikel Arteta of influencing Arsenal fans to slam ‘corrupt and cheating’ referees
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GARY NEVILLE has sensationally claimed Mikel Arteta is partly to blame for fuelling Arsenal fan's stinging criticism of referees. Following the Gunners' clash against Wolves, it was revealed that match official Michael Oliver had been subjected to vile death threats and abuse online.
![[Gary Neville at the Labour Party conference.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/former-footballer-gary-neville-prepares-944644192_d5ea15.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Oliver, 39, had been at the centre of the controversial decision to send off Myles Lewis-Skelly for a cynical foul following a trip against Matt Doherty on the edge of the Wolves penalty area. The Premier League had said the teenager had been sent off for "serious foul play", but the suspension was later rescinded.
![[Mikel Arteta, Arsenal manager, arguing with a referee.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2022-arsenal-manager-mikel-arteta-785066014.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
However, Oliver was subjected to vile abuse on social media after the game, which was won 1-0 by Arsenal. A PGMOL statement at the time said: "We are appalled by the threats and abuse directed at Michael Oliver following the Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal fixture.".
In the following days, Arteta, 42, blasted the attack on Oliver and urged governing bodies to kick "hatred" out of football. But ex-Manchester United star Neville, 49, has accused the Gunners boss of being one of the main architects of riling up the abusers.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, he said: "They [Arsenal fans] use language like corruption, which means they think he's getting paid and bought off – which is obviously not the case. "We [at Manchester United] lived in a club which created a siege mentality about the referees.
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS. "Arsenal are doing a bit of that as well – there's no doubt that what Arsenal do is inflame the situation after the game rather than calm it down, they've done that for 12 months – but we can't say that's wrong having played in the dressing room that we did.
