Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and vice-captain Bukayo Saka both bemoaned the decisions made by VAR in Sunday’s 2–1 win over Newcastle United, yet expert analysis of all the incidents suggest that it was the Magpies who ought to feel hard done by.
As has become tradition on Arsenal’s trips to St James’ Park, spectators were treated to a thumping atmosphere, thrilling physical duels and plenty of refereeing controversy.
The Gunners were the first to lament the intervention of VAR Darren England as the first-half penalty earned by Viktor Gyökeres was ultimately overturned upon review. Newcastle, moments after Mikel Merino’s equaliser cancelled out Nick Woltemade’s opener, were left questioning why VAR didn’t get involved when Gabriel appeared to handle the ball inside Arsenal’s penalty box.
The all-action Brazilian, who also escaped any punishment for clouting Woltemade in the face, popped up with the winning goal.
Arsenal’s Overturned Penalty
As Jarred Gillett put his finger to his ear to signal a VAR review, Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope went an even lighter shade of white. The England international must surely have been fearing a red card after clattering into Viktor Gyökeres midway through the first half of Sunday’s ding-dong.
Yet, much to the surprise of many inside St James’ Park, Gillett was advised to go against his initial decision as the goalkeeper “plays the ball and there is no foul,” in the words of the official.
In the eyes of Arteta, the slight brush of the ball from Pope’s foot did not meet the threshold for a VAR ruling. “If it is not a clear and obvious error, VAR should not intervene,” the Spanish boss sniffed.
Saka made the same argument: “For me, if we have VAR, it is for a clear and obvious error, and the fact that it took the ref that long to decide shows it is not a clear and obvious error.”
However, as ESPN’s refereeing expert Dale Johnson highlights in his review of the incident, Gillett had not seen Pope make any contact with the ball in real time—hence his initial award of the penalty. As the VAR was providing the on-pitch official with new information, the decision to decamp to the pitch-side monitor was entirely justified.
The review of the action which unfolded is more open to interpretation.
Just because Pope touched the ball does not give him free rein to take down Gyökeres. Yet, the Magpies keeper is deemed to be making “an attempt to win the ball in a fair way” as it is a matter of Gyökeres running into him, rather than Pope kicking the Arsenal forward. According to Johnson, “this was a correct overturn, and would be expected to be in any league with VAR.”
“It is things like this that always go against us,” Saka moaned, “but today we got what we deserved, and that’s why we are all so happy. It doesn’t matter now, does it?” It may matter to Newcastle.
Newcastle’s Appeals for Handball
VAR Darren England was oddly unmoved when Gabriel appeared to pat the ball away in the closing stages of Sunday’s contest. The Premier League subsequently explained that “the ball [was] deemed to have deflected off Gabriel’s shin and onto his arm” after he slid into a challenge with Anthony Elanga inside Arsenal’s box.
ESPN’s VAR review points out that “touching another body part before contact with the arm does not automatically mean a handball cannot be penalised” and argues that the ball did not undergo a “significant change in trajectory” before striking Gabriel’s arm, which was raised well above his head.
Even though Newcastle were the ones to justifiably feel embittered about the referee’s calls on Sunday, Eddie Howe refused to be drawn on the controversy. “I had a feeling it was [handball] initially, but it wasn’t given, so you have to accept it,” he shrugged.
“You have to look at yourselves first, otherwise you will not grow and develop.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Arsenal Rage Against VAR But Newcastle Deemed Victims of Real Injustice.
