Arsenal fans furious VAR didn’t give penalty for ‘foul’ on Nketiah at Newcastle
Arsenal supporters are the latest group to declare all out war against VAR following a series of controversial decisions during their 1-0 defeat to Newcastle on Saturday.
Eddie Howe's team scratched the first tally in the Gunners' Premier League L column this season courtesy of an Anthony Gordon winner mid-way through the second half at St James' Park. The goal was allowed to stand after a lengthy VAR review swatted aside a hat-trick of reasons to rule it out, much to the frustration of Mikel Arteta who labelled the decision "an absolute disgrace".
But it wasn't the only point of contention. Flying slightly under the under was a first half penalty shout after Eddie Nketiah appeared to be dragged to the floor in the box by Toon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.
READ MORE: Mikel Arteta goes on epic rant over ‘embarrassing’ Newcastle goal after three VAR checks
READ MORE: Technology proves Mikel Arteta has nothing to complain about over Newcastle goal
Arsenal fans on social media are convinced it was a stonewall spot kick but the situation wasn't even reviewed, at least not publicly. Taking to X, one supporter fumed: "Eddie is quite literally getting pulled down with the ball right in front of him."
Another said: "Sky just ignored this in the first half, not a single replay or comment from either of the commentators and wasn’t touched upon at half time." A third added: "We got robbed. Completely robbed."
Should Arsenal have been awarded a penalty? Let us know in the comments section below.
Others, however, disagreed, with one fan commenting: "Isn’t Nketiah literally dragging the Newcastle player down or am I stupid?" Another pointed out that neither the Arsenal forward, nor any his team-mates appealed for penalty, insisting: "That says it all doesn't it? No pen."
Arteta slammed the match officials after the game in an extraordinary rant in which he suggested refereeing standards in the Premier League have never been lower. "There's too much at stake here," he raged. "We put so much effort [in], it's so difficult to compete at this level. It's an absolute disgrace.
- Create a winning approach on the tactics board, incorporating modern systems and positional innovations to deliver big victories on the pitch.
- Master the transfer market, using new ways to craft a dream squad capable of winning titles.
- Level up your players on the training field and turn your contenders into champions.
£39.99 (PS5), £40.49 (PC)
"I feel embarrassed. I've been more than 20 years in this country and [the standard of refereeing] is no where near the level to describe this as the best league in the world."
The defeat means Arsenal missed the chance to leapfrog neighbours Tottenham, who are now the only undefeated team left in the Premier League, in the table. Manchester City's 6-1 thrashing of Bournemouth means they're top of the tree for now, though Spurs will go above them again with a win over Chelsea on Monday.
Source: Read Full Article
