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LONDON. —  Mikel Arteta says Arsenal cannot afford to stand still in the January transfer window after being held to a goalless draw by Newcastle in the English Premiership football on Tuesday night, while he played down his touchline antics.

The Gunners made an electric start to the contest but were frustrated by a stubborn Newcastle rear-guard, producing few chances of real note — though Arteta felt his side should have been awarded two penalties.

Despite needing a goal, Arteta only made one defensive substitution and did not bring on a fresh attacker, with the Spaniard making it clear to Arsenal’s board that he needs reinforcements.

Asked if the result might have been different had Arsenal been able to get their January business done sooner, Arteta replied: “I don’t know, it’s something more for Edu and the board to respond.

“We are really trying to improve the squad in every window. This is no different.

“We will try to do our best because we cannot waste any windows with the squad and the numbers that we have. But we will try.’’  He echoed that message in another interview with Sky Sports, saying: ‘’We had what we had. We have some injuries as well and in attacking areas we don’t have that many options but it is what it is. That’s something we always try to do to improve our team and every window is important.’’

Arteta said he is “really proud” of his side, and they should have been awarded two “scandalous” penalties in their goalless draw against Newcastle.

A resilient Magpies display kept the Gunners at bay and brought to an end their 11-game English Premier League winning streak at Emirates Stadium.

But Arteta cut a frustrated figure at full-time and said his side were wrongly denied penalties — first when Dan Burn pulled Gabriel back after a free-kick, before Jacob Murphy appeared to handle the ball in the final minutes. 

Frustrations were visible at the Emirates as Arteta and his players frantically waved their arms in the air in protest of the decisions, which were both checked by the Video Assistant Referee.

“There were two penalties. It’s very simple. I’m talking about what I’ve seen. It was two scandalous penalties,” said Arteta.

Matthew Upson, part of BBC Radio 5 Live’s commentary of the match, said of the second appeal: “There’s no doubt it strikes the arm but it’s not in an unnatural position and it’s not miles out of the silhouette of the body to attempt to block the ball.”

Former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville agreed with Upson and said the handball was “never a penalty”.

Magpies boss Eddie Howe added it would have been a “travesty” to concede a penalty so late in the game.

“Obviously at that stage of the game you’re thinking ‘oh no, the lads have given so much’, and that would have been a travesty for us. I didn’t think it was a penalty but you just never know,” he said. — Metro.