Newcastle defeated Arsenal 1-0 this evening at St. James's Park and somehow, incredibly, VAR has yet again been proven unfit for purpose - unless its true purpose is testing the sanity of Premier League managers like Mikel Arteta.
Anthony Gordon's 65th minute was given the greenlight after a four minute VAR check, however there were at three least possible infractions in the build-up to the incident, with the ball appearing to leave play, a push in the back of Gabriel and a possible handball.
"The talk will be about VAR"@Carra23 and Izzy Christiansen analyse Anthony Gordon's goal against Arsenal 🧐 pic.twitter.com/ZZKhInkOtp
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 4, 2023
Rule states that there has to be two players behind the goalkeeper for the player scoring to be onside. Ball out of play. Foul on Gabriel. pic.twitter.com/jWoWMC5btJ
— Eduardo Hagn (@EduardoHagn) November 4, 2023
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This came hours after Wolves were victims again by an officiating error and just over a month from the Liverpool-Spurs VAR debacle.
Mikel Arteta rant in full
Not surprisingly, Mikel Arteta was apoplectic when speaking to Sky Sports after the game. The Spaniard unleashed a famous and memeable rant, full of fury and despair for the Premier League.
"It's a disgrace, It's embarrassing. That's how I feel and that's how everybody feels in that [dressing] room. You cannot imagine the amount of messages we've got saying this cannot continue. It's embarrassing. I'm sorry, embarrassing."
"I feel sick. That's how I feel. I feel sick to be part of this."
"We have to talk about the result because we have to talk about how the hell this goal is stand up. It's incredible. I feel embarrassed. But I have to be the one coming now here to try to defend the club and please ask for help because it is an absolute disgrace this goal is allowed. It's an absolute disgrace.
"It's not a goal. For many reasons it's not a goal. For more than one reason it's not a goal. It's too much at stake. We put so much effort, it's so difficult to compete at this level, and it's an absolute disgrace. I feel embarrassed.
"I've been more than 20 years in this country, and this is nowhere near the level to describe this as the best league in the world. I am sorry."
"It's embarrassing. It's a disgrace. That's what it is, a disgrace."
Mikel Arteta is NOT happy with the decisions that went against Arsenal in their defeat to Newcastle 😠 pic.twitter.com/wRB4F3Hdvl— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 4, 2023
Arteta continued to rage in the post-match press conference saying the incident left him feeling sick.
"I feel sick. That's how I feel. I feel sick to be part of this."
An ANGRY Mikel Arteta shares his thoughts on the controversial Newcastle goal that meant Arsenal suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season. 😳 pic.twitter.com/fYT5lyo6eF— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) November 4, 2023
To add insult to injury for Arsenal, VAR also bottled a clear arm-to-the-face incident from Bruno Guimares on Jorginho.
Just to be totally clear; VAR reviewed Bruno's assault on Jorginho & said that it was a forearm, not an elbow. That's irrelevant, so they've openly admitted that they saw violent conduct & decided not to act on it. Incompetence or corruption, you decide, but @FA_PGMOL must act. pic.twitter.com/x6iPgugqYO
— 𝕠𝕤𝕔𝕒𝕣 𝕩-𝕣𝕒𝕪 (@05c4rXr4y) November 4, 2023
It's Arsenal's first defeat of the season and they'll wake three points behind Man City tomorrow. The mammoth task of trying to win a league with clubs funded by petrostates is made all the more impossible by a borderline incompetent video replay system.
