Ex-Sky anchor Keys says two pundits were ordered NOT to criticise referees

Richard Keys has claimed that two pundits received calls from a high-ranking Premier League official to ask them not to criticise officials.

The former Sky Sports anchor, who now leads beIN Sports’ coverage, has suggested that rival broadcasters are being censored when it comes to their analysis of refereeing mistakes. Keys has ripped into the PGMOL and claimed that the batch of officials are “no longer fit for purpose”.

“Here we are again. Every f****** week. It simply isn’t good enough,” he wrote in his  weekly blog.  “It can’t go on. I repeat what I said recently - our current crop of match officials aren’t fit for purpose. They’re hopeless. And they’re ruining the best league in the world.”

His comments come after another week of controversial decisions in the Premier League. The most high-profile of which came during Arsenal ’s defeat at Newcastle. Anthony Gordon scored the only goal of the game, with the strike only allowed after a lengthy VAR check.

Gunners boss Mikel Arteta branded the decision a “disgrace” in his post-match comments, with the club subsequently backing up his rant. And Keys believes the Spaniard was well within his rights to hit out following what he labelled as “one of the biggest injustices of the season”.

He went on to suggest that while he and partner Andy Gray were able to speak freely on the topic, pundits elsewhere are not afforded the same luxury. Keys added: “I’m in the luxurious position of being able to say what I think about the falling standards of officialdom in our top league - but imagine taking a call from a high ranking PL broadcast official reminding you who pays your wages. Scary.

“It happened to two people that I know recently. The message was clear ‘stop criticising the refs’. What sort of world are we living in when people who run the game also want to steer the narrative?”

Mirror Football has approached the Premier League for comment.

Sky pundits Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher took umbrage with Arteta’s - and Arsenal’s - comments in the wake of the defeat in Tyneside, with the former labelling the club’s statement as dangerous.

But speaking ahead of his side’s Champions League clash with Sevilla, Arteta has said he and the club will have no issue in repeating their stance should their perceived injustices continue. He said: "I will do it and the club will do it again until this is right. We have a duty to express how we feel with the evidence we have and the history we have.

‌"It is my duty to stand in front of you, in front of the cameras and give a very clear and honest assessment of what happens in the game. This is what I did, reflect very openly about how I felt we played and how the game was conditioned by the decisions made.

“It is my duty to defend and support my players and club in the best possible way. I will do it time after time and I do it with the evidence we have.”