Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has unleashed fury on the PGMOL for its apology after a VAR mistake cost his side two points against Brentford on Saturday. The Gunners drew 1-1 at the Emirates Stadium, opening the opportunity for Manchester City to go top of the Premier League in Wednesday’s crunch clash.
Arteta’s side were nearing a hard-fought victory in the London derby before Ivan Toney’s 74th-minute equaliser. However, there was a widespread expectation that the goal would be disallowed due to Christian Norgaard, who teed up Toney, who was in an offside position.
VAR Lee Mason had only focused on another offside incident earlier in the build-up, though, forgetting to draw the lines for Norgaard and ruling the leveller legal.
On Sunday, the PGMOL confirmed its Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb had contacted Arsenal to ‘acknowledge and explain the significant errors in the VAR process’.
A statement read: “Both incidents, which were due to human error and related to the analysis of offside situations, are being thoroughly reviewed by PGMOL.”
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“That has made the players, staff and our fans stronger to pass this hurdle that they put on us.”
When asked whether he was satisfied with the PGMOL’s apology, Arteta made it clear that the pain of the error was going to take some time to heal.
He added: “I will only be satisfied [with the apology] if they give me the two points back, which is not going to be the case.”
Mason has stepped down from VAR duties for this weekend’s round of Premier League fixtures after being the subject of mass backlash.
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