Arsenal and Mikel Arteta need to keep their nerve ahead of the season-defining run

Mikel Arteta lost it. Arsenal players lost it. And yet the Premier League leaders didn’t lose that game.

They drew 0-0 and getting a point against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United is perfectly fine. That’s more than Arsenal’s London neighbors Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur got out of them.

But towards the end of that draw at the Emirates Stadium, the behavior of Arteta and his team showed the pressure they feel at the top of the Premier League.

Mikel Arteta looked tense and excited on the touchline during Arsenal’s draw with Newcastle

The antics were a sign that Arteta and his players are feeling the pressure of being at the top

In their desperation to win, they lost control. On the technical side, Arteta acted like a kid who was refused a candy bar by his mother at the checkout, stomping and screaming.

On the field, Granit Xhaka, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Co surrounded referee Andrew Madley. There was no rest. Only chaos as Arsenal insisted they were denied a result.

The reason for the anger was a possible penalty in stoppage time. Xhaka’s cross was blocked by Jacob Murphy and television footage showed the ball hit the Newcastle player’s arm.

But let’s face it, there’s no conspiracy here. Nor is there any gross injustice, as any sane football fan could see that, despite Arsenal’s angry protests, this was not a penalty.

Murphy’s arm had to go somewhere. It was not stretched out or used to make itself bigger. It was pinched by his body when he slipped to block the cross. The ball hit him but Madley and VAR Stuart Attwell did well not to give in to the pressure.

Arsenal would be wise to refocus and keep their composure ahead of a crucial five-game run

Arsenal’s anger was of course heightened by what had happened before. They should have been penalized for Dan Burn’s pullback on Gabriel. That was a clear foul that Madley missed, and Attwell will likely be told by his PGMOL bosses that he made a mistake.

Arteta later said Arsenal were denied two “scandalous” penalties. The fire? Absolutely. Murphy’s? Not as much.

But Arteta and his players’ anger towards the officials stood out. This has become an eyesore in the Premier League. Arsenal aren’t the only ones venting their anger. They’re just the latest club to do this.

They meet Tottenham, Manchester United and Manchester City in three of the next five games

Maybe they can use the “us against the world” mentality to their advantage. But given what’s to come, it could be more beneficial for Arsenal to remain calm in the face of controversy.

Their next five games are: Tottenham (a), Manchester United (h), Everton (a), Brentford (h) and Manchester City (h). It’s a run that could define Arsenal’s season.

Tottenham – a north London derby with which Antonio Conte hopes to revive his season. Manchester United – another tricky test against a top-four contender. Everton – who knows, maybe they’ll have a new manager by then. Brentford – Thomas Frank’s side are in top form. Manchester City – do we need to say more about the significance of this showdown with Pep Guardiola’s side?

Creating chaos will hamper Arsenal, not help them, so they need cool heads in this title race

If those games don’t go to Arsenal, if Arteta feels decisions are going against them, will they react like they did on Tuesday? That was a good draw against Howes Newcastle.

Perhaps Arsenal could have gotten more out of the game. Maybe Madley and Attwell should have awarded them a penalty, certainly for Burn’s shirt-pulling on Gabriel.

But now is a time when Arsenal would benefit from staying calm rather than wreaking havoc.