VAR

ARSENAL have fallen victim to a referee error in each of the five Premier League games they have dropped points in.The Gunners were denied all three points against Brentford on Saturday because VAR failed to spot an offside.
VAR failed to draw the lines to check if Christian Norgaard was offside
Refereeing mistakes have cost Arsenal in each of the five Prem games they have dropped points inCredit: Getty
Bees star Christian Norgaard was in an offside position when he crossed for Ivan Toney to equalise.
The PGMOL contacted Arsenal over the incident to explain what led to the mistake – VAR Lee Mason had failed to draw the lines to check if Norgaard was offside.
It is not the first time poor officiating has cost Mikel Arteta’s side this season, and they could be more than two points clear at the top of the league if correct decisions had been made.
Here are the other notable incidents where a refereeing blunder cost the league leaders.
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Arsenal vs Everton
The Gunners suffered their second Prem defeat of the season at Goodison Park last week.
But moments after James Tarkowski headed the hosts in front, which proved to be the winner, Arsenal felt they should have had a penalty.
Gabriel appeared to have been tripped in the box by Neal Maupay but referee David Coote awarded Everton a free-kick instead, and his decision stood despite a VAR check.
Former ref Peter Walton told BT Sport that the spot-kick may not have been awarded because Gabriel initiated the contact.
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Gabriel appeared to be fouled by Neal Maupay
Arsenal vs Newcastle
Gabriel was also denied a penalty during January’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle.
The centre-back was manhandled by Dan Burn in the penalty area and he felt the contact was significant enough to go to ground.
But the ref and VAR ignored Arsenal’s penalty pleas, much to the annoyance of Gabriel who took to Twitter to vent his frustrations.
The Sky Sports pundit were unanimous in their belief that a penalty should have been awarded, as was Arteta who slammed the “scandalous” decision.
Gabriel tumbled over in the box under a challenge from Dan BurnCredit: Getty
Arsenal vs Southampton
Arsenal drew 1-1 with the Saints but could have had a 2-0 lead if Gabriel Jesus was awarded a penalty.
The Brazilian was dragged back by Southampton’s Duje Caleta-Car and tumbled over, but referee Robert Jones seemingly felt there was not enough contact.
Yet on the same weekend Armando Broja won a penalty for Chelsea after being fouled in similar fashion by Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay.
Ex-Prem ref Mark Halsey told SunSport that Arsenal were “robbed” by the decision not to award a penalty.
Gabriel Jesus was pulled to the ground by Duje Caleta-CarCredit: Getty
Arsenal vs Manchester United
United inflicted a first defeat of the season on Arsenal in September but the game could have had a very different outcome if Gabriel Martinelli’s opener had stood.
The Brazilian raced through to score but after a VAR check the goal was chalked off with Martin Odegaard deemed to have fouled Christian Eriksen in the build-up.
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There was minimal contact between the pair and Arsenal skipper Odegaard fumed about the decision.
The Premier League later admitted the decision to disallow the goal was incorrect.
The Premier League admitted they made a mistake in awarding Christian Eriksen a foulCredit: Rex More

PGMOL chief Howard Webb has called a meeting for ALL refs next week after a Saturday overshadowed by VAR cock-ups.Prem leaders Arsenal were left incensed as Ivan Toney’s offside Brentford equaliser was allowed to stand.
Howard Webb was left ‘incredulous’ by the decisionsCredit: Getty
Arsenal were incensed by Brentford’s equaliser being allowed to standCredit: Sky Sports
While Brighton saw a goal incorrectly chalked off against rivals Crystal Palace.
Both Arsenal and Brighton went on to drop points, with Webb reportedly “incredulous” at what happened.
According to the Mail, all refs will have to attend a “summit” at Stockley Park next week to wade through the mess.
Brentford’s goal was allowed to stand after VAR Lee Mason “forgot” to draw the lines that would have adjudged Christian Norgaard to have been offside.
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John Brooks was VAR on the Palace-Brighton game and while he did remember to draw the offside line… he did so from the wrong player.
Webb, 51, wrote to both Arsenal and Brighton to apologise and clarify what had happened.
In an official statement, the Seagulls confirmed that they had accepted the PGMOL’s apology.
It read: “As was confirmed to the club by PGMOL last night, a serious error was made in disallowing Pervis Estupinan’s goal at Crystal Palace yesterday afternoon.
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VAR John Brooks drew the line from the wrong playerCredit: Twitter @BBCMOTD
“The lines drawn in the VAR room to determine whether Pervis was in an offside position were drawn incorrectly, and the goal should have stood.
“While hugely disappointed by the error, the club has accepted PGMOL’s apology and will not be making any further comment.”
The PGMOL’s own statement read: “PGMOL can confirm its Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb has contacted both Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion to acknowledge and explain the significant errors in the VAR process in their respective Premier League fixtures on Saturday.
“Both incidents, which were due to human error and related to the analysis of offside situations, are being thoroughly reviewed by PGMOL.”
Lee Mason is not currently booked for any further matches, although John Brooks is currently scheduled to be the VAR for tomorrow’s Merseyside derby and Wednesday’s Arsenal vs Manchester City clash. More

ARSENAL and Brighton have both been contacted by the PGMOL after being on the end of VAR “human errors” on Saturday.Ivan Toney’s equaliser for Brentford in their 1-1 draw with the Gunners should have been ruled out for offside but the VAR failed to draw the lines to disallow it.
VAR failed to rule out Brentford’s goal despite Ethan Pinnock being in an offside position
Brighton were denied a goal when the VAR official drew the lines next to the wrong Brighton player
And at Selhurst Park in a game between Crystal Palace and Brighton, another mistake saw the VAR referee draw lines next to the wrong player when checking Pervis Estupinan’s goal for the visitors – which was disallowed.
Now referee chiefs have contacted both clubs who were on the wrong end of the calls – Arsenal and Brighton – and ensured the matters are being investigated.
A short statement from the PGMOL read: “PGMOL can confirm its Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb has contacted both Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion to acknowledge and explain the significant errors in the VAR process in their respective Premier League fixtures on Saturday.
“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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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was left raging at the offside call as his side were denied a victory which would have seen them regain their eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.
He said: “I’ve looked back at the goal and it was offside. They haven’t explained why it wasn’t ruled out and we’ll be giving our views to the Premier League.
“You have to apply certain principles in defending set-pieces and you do that by sticking to the rules.
“But apparently they were not applied and if you suddenly change those rules you tell us before the game so you don’t defend with the line so high.
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“We apply what the referee tells us every single week before the game – that if the  blockers are offside then it will be ruled out.
“I also think their player was offside when he crossed the ball. I was hoping that the cameras and visuals would pick that up because it looks like there were two actions.
“But it’s too late and now we’ve dropped two points.”
Even Brentford boss Thomas Frank admitted: “I agree that when we took the free-kick, Pinnock is [in] an offside position.
“Then, as far as I understand the football laws, the next question is did he influence the cross?
“VAR decided it was not enough to rule out the goal and I agree.
“But every week there are VAR decisions that go marginally one way or the other.”
Following the result, a Manchester City win over Aston Villa on Sunday will give them the chance to knock Arsenal off top spot with victory at the Emirates on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, Brighton’s draw with Palace leaves them four points adrift of fifth-placed Tottenham with two games in hand. More

IAN WRIGHT has revealed his frustration at the Prem’s latest round of VAR blunders.Saturday’s action was marred by a series of gaffes – including Brentford’s equaliser against Wright’s beloved Arsenal.
Ian Wright aired his frustrations on InstagramCredit: INSTAGRAM / @wrightyofficial
Replays appeared to show that Christian Norgaard was offside in the build-upCredit: Sky Sports
The Gunners felt that the Bees’ equaliser ought to have been disallowed for offside, with the PGMOL since admitting “significant errors”.
Elsewhere Brighton saw a goal at rivals Crystal Palace incorrectly chalked off, while Chelsea were denied a stonewall late penalty at West Ham.
After all three games finished 1-1, Wright took to Instagram on Sunday morning to reveal his irritation.
He said: “Yesterday man. I can’t believe it… I cannot believe what I saw yesterday.
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“What are the consequences for Brighton who are trying to get into Europe?
“What are the consequences for someone like Graham Potter?
“Finally we saw a Chelsea team doing some stuff in the first half an hour and I’m thinking, ‘yes, Graham Potter, you’re starting to get it’.
“What are the consequences for Arsenal, man? Trying to put a title run together, man, what are the consequences?
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“Best league in the world they say, that’s what we say, ‘oh, best league in the world’.
“Them mistakes. What’s going to happen from PGMOL, someone’s going to get what?
“We’re going to get an apology, they’re going to get a suspension… a break disguised as a suspension.
“You can’t blame the technology. In two cases they drew the lines in the wrong place! The wrong r******* place!”
On Sunday, the PGMOL released a statement addressing Saturday’s blunders.
It read: “PGMOL can confirm its Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb has contacted both Arsenal and Brighton and Hove Albion to acknowledge and explain the significant errors in the VAR process in their respective Premier League fixtures on Saturday.
“Both incidents, which were due to human error and related to the analysis of offside situations, are being thoroughly reviewed by PGMOL.”
Pervis Estupinan celebrated a goal that was later disallowedCredit: Getty
Chelsea were denied a clear penalty against West HamCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

CHELSEA boss Graham Potter was criticised for NOT slamming officials after the Blues were denied a late penalty.Potter congratulated West Ham’s Tomas Soucek for a “great save” from Conor Gallagher’s 89th-minute shot yet refused to blame referee Craig Pawson or VAR official Neil Swarbrick.
Graham Potter did not complain despite being denied a late penaltyCredit: Rex
Joe Cole feels Potter should have made more of the decisionCredit: Rex
Conor Gallagher’s strike was blocked by the hand of Tomas SoucekCredit: Reuters
But ex-Chelsea star Joe Cole and fellow BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand claimed the Blues boss should have created an “uproar” over the decision — to take the heat off him and his team after another disappointing 1-1 draw.
Cole noted Potter’s lack of experience managing a club Chelsea’s size and said: “He’s always diplomatic, he’s doing a fantastic job.
“But if he had someone in his staff who’s maybe been at that level, managed at that level, you need to cause a bit of an uproar because it does two things.
“It takes the deflection from the bad elements of your performance, and it also puts it on VAR.
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“Let these Chelsea fans leave the stadium feeling hard done by instead of thinking, ‘Why didn’t we beat West Ham? We’ve signed all these players’.
“It changes the narrative of the story.”
Potter tried to laugh off the controversy, saying: “It was a great save. You need your goalkeeper sometimes to get you a point.
“It looked quite a handball and I didn’t know Tomas could get down so easily and save like that.
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“It’s not for me to say about VAR. Every single decision and action you won’t get the same one again, so it’s very hard to get consistency.
“Sometimes they go for you and sometimes they don’t — and you have to accept it.”
But Ferdinand said Potter should have taken a leaf out of the book of former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho.
Ferdinand said: “Mourinho would have been at it and it would have been the story of tomorrow.
“The back page would have been ‘Mourinho slams VAR’, and it takes the gloss off what happened on the pitch.
“There were some bits you could improve on with Chelsea — that would not have been the focus.
“But it probably will be now with the money spent, the influx of players etc.”
A few minutes before the Soucek incident, VAR ruled out his “goal” for West Ham for offside against Declan Rice in the build-up.
And back in September, VAR more controversially disallowed a Maxwel Cornet equaliser for the Hammers at Stamford Bridge because of a clash between Jarrod Bowen and Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
PGMOL later admitted it was one of six mistakes made by VAR officials in the first part of the season.
Hammers boss David Moyes claimed he had not seen the Soucek “handball”.
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He added: “We had a huge decision that went against us at Stamford Bridge — so don’t forget that.
“Tomas is someone who has always made a big impact for us. He can help in both boxes.”
Rio Ferdinand labelled the decision not to give a penalty as “unbelievable”Credit: PA More