The clash between Arsenal and Newcastle United garnered a lot of attention over the weekend, with numerous controversial moments. Newcastle emerged victorious, thanks to a crucial goal by Anthony Gordon. However, this goal underwent a VAR review for three different incidents, including the possibility of the ball going out of play, Gabriel Magalhaes being pushed, and a question of offside. Ultimately, the goal was allowed, and Arsenal struggled to recover, finding it difficult to create scoring opportunities against Newcastle’s resilient defense.
After the game, the controversy persisted as Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, expressed his frustration with the refereeing standards, and the club issued a statement that received significant criticism. Former referee Mark Clattenburg also shared his views on the incidents in his Daily Mail column, stating that the entire goal didn’t feel right and suggesting that Joelinton had pushed Gabriel. He noted that there wasn’t a camera angle available to VAR that could conclusively determine whether the ball was out of play, so the on-field decision had to stand.
One aspect that some may have missed during the game was the yellow card received by Bruno Guimaraes, which holds significant importance. This yellow card marked his fifth of the season, resulting in his suspension for an upcoming match against AFC Bournemouth. He will return after the international break in time to face Chelsea. Importantly, Guimaraes is now halfway to the 10-yellow card threshold, which would lead to a two-game suspension if he reaches it.
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