6 biggest VAR howlers against Arsenal after forgetting to draw offside lines
Arsenal dropped points for the second week running - but it wasn't only their underperforming players who fans were left fuming at.
In the aftermath of Saturday's disappointing 1-1 draw, which saw the Gunners miss the chance to go eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table, it's emerged that VAR should've ruled out Ivan Toney's late equaliser. Shortly after Leandro Trossard had broken the deadlock in North London, Toney popped up with a header and earned the Bees a controversial point.
Hours after the final whistle, supporters learned that Lee Mason - now a dedicated VAR official for the Premier League - had somehow forgotten to draw the offside lines which would've resulted in the goal being disallowed. Mikel Arteta had pointed out post-match that the decision didn't add up, and it's not the first time Arsenal's manager has been left feeling aggrieved.
Here are six times when a howler from VAR has left Gunners fans fuming.
Sheffield Utd double up
When VAR was finally introduced into the Premier League for the 2019-20 season, controversy seemed like an occupational hazard. That year also saw Sheffield United return to the top flight and their first clash with Arsenal couldn't have gone much worse for the Gunners.
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Still managed by Unai Emery, the Yorkshire hosts earned a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane, although Arsenal were adamant that they deserved not one but two penalties. With the game goalless in the early stages, Greek defender Sokratis Papastathopoulos had his shirt pulled in the penalty area but no foul was given by referee Mike Dean or VAR.
Then once Lys Mousset's goal handed Sheffield United the lead, Bukayo Saka was shown a yellow card for simulation, as Dean believed that the Gunners academy gradate was trying too hard to win a penalty. On the replay, however, Saka was shown to be tripped by John Egan - not that that mattered when Emery lost his job soon after.
Bukayo Saka was booked for simulation, despite being brought down by John Egan (David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)Sokratis left stunned
Just week later, Arsenal's fury resumed when the Gunners thought they deserved a winning goal of their own during a chaotic 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in October 2019. Infamously one of Emery's final games at the Emirates and the time when captain Granit Xhaka angrily reacted to being booed off by his own fans, Sokratis fired home what seemed like a last-gasp winner.
However, before the days of referees regularly being told to consult the pitch-side monitor and make a decision for themselves, VAR official Jarred Gillett - sat in the Stockley Park control room - deemed that Calum Chambers had fouled Palace ace Luka Milivojevic just before Sokratis crashed in a strike. The result helped spell the end of Emery's tenure, as supporters soon turned on the Spaniard.
Sokratis Papastathopoulos thought he'd won it for Arsenal against Crystal Palace (Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)Burnley receive a helping hand
Heading into Mikel Arteta's tenure, his first full season at the helm was one to forget. With Arsenal chasing at least a Europa League finish, a woeful 1-1 draw at Burnley saw them stumble.
Yet it could've been so different for the Gunners, who had a penalty in their favour overturned in the 83rd minute at an empty Turf Moor, as Covid-19 protocol at Premier League grounds was still in full flow. £72million signing Nicolas Pepe was deemed to have hit a volley at the arm of Clarets left-back Erik Pieters from point-blank range.
Referee Andre Marriner promptly pointed to the spot, showing the Burnley defender a straight red card. However, VAR official Kevin Friend agreed with Pieters' pleas that the ball struck had his shoulder, and soon the penalty was chalked off.
What stung more, though, was the fact that minutes earlier Pepe really did hit Pieters' arm a few minutes earlier, yet Friend didn't intervene. Had VAR not been in play during the 2020-21 season, Arsenal would've finished fourth instead of eighth.
This shot from Nicolas Pepe didn't result in a penalty - somehow (Chloe Knott - Danehouse/Getty Images)Eriksen gets lucky
Jumping to a trio of incident this seasons now and one which the Premier League reportedly concede - behind closed doors - that their officials got wrong. During a trip to Manchester United in September, the in-form Gabriel Martinelli raced through on goal and looked to have given the Gunners an early lead inside 12 minutes.
Pulled back for a soft foul on United's Christian Eriksen by midfielder Martin Odegaard, ESPN picked out the incident as one of six VAR calls which were incorrect during the World Cup break in December. United went on to win the game 3-1, with the fortunate Eriksen playing a key role, condemning Arsenal to what was their only Premier League defeat this season until last weekend.
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Christian Eriksen went down under a challenge from Martin Odegaard (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Gabriel Martinelli looked to have given Arsenal the lead against Man Utd (Michael Regan/Getty Images)More Maupay torment
To the place of their second league loss in 2022-23 now, and the Gunners' slumping performance at Everton could've still seem them come away with a point. After James Tarkowski headed the hosts into a second-half lead, Everton striker Neal Maupay - a frequent tormentor of Arsenal's after an incident in 2020 left ex-goalkeeper Bernd Leno with a serious injury - appeared to bring down Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes inside the 18-yard box.
John Brooks, who was the video assistant referee that day, acknowledged there was contact but not enough for a penalty to be awarded. Despite that call, it's understood that had on-field referee David Coote pointed to the spot, VAR wouldn't have overturned his call and the Gunners would've had the chance to equalise.
Have your say! Will Arsenal still win the Premier League this season? Let us know your prediction in the comments section.
Neal Maupay and Gabriel Magalhaes were in a battle last weekend (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)Bees leave a sting
And finally, to Saturday's main talking point. After Trossard struck to send waves of relief around the Emirates, the January signing and his team-mates looked to be regaining an eight-point lead at the top.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, though, Toney scored a tap-in header after Brentford bamboozled the Gunners' defence from a trademark set piece. Referee Peter Bankes saw no issue, but there were suggestions that Ethan Pinnock was offside when he blocked off Gabriel in the build-up.
Mason ran the checks in the VAR room, but former Premier League official Chris Foy - who was at Stockley Park on Saturday - has revealed that his ex-colleague forgot to draw the offside lines for Christian Norgaard's all-important assist. "Ivan puts the ball in the net and VAR Lee Mason obviously runs through the checks," Foy told the Mail on Sunday.
Christian Norgaard should've been ruled offside for Brentford's equaliser (Stephanie Meek - CameraSport via Getty Images)"VAR was looking to see if there was an offside and whether Ethan Pinnock had blocked off Gabriel in the build-up. He looked at the possible foul and decided there hadn’t been one and therefore referee Peter Bankes hadn't made a clear and obvious error. However, in the build-up to the goal, Christian Norgaard - whose cross it is that Toney heads in - is in an offside position.
"However, the truth is that VAR didn’t fully investigate with the lines. The lines, simply, didn't go down. And that counts as human error. Had the lines gone down the goal would have been disallowed for offside."
Could that be the two points which cost Arsenal their first Premier League title in 19 years?
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