‘Not good enough’ — Arsenal’s Arteta blasts VAR after Controversial Goal in West Ham defeat

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has again questioned the effectiveness of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system after the Gunners’ recent Premier League setback against their London neighbours West Ham.

In their most recent Premier League match, Arsenal faced a challenging encounter with West Ham, resulting in a 2-0 defeat, and the match was plagued by controversy surrounding the use of VAR technology, which saw a debatable West Ham opener stand despite VAR intervention.

The key moment in the question was Tomas Soucek's goal for West Ham, scored early in the match, which was controversial due to uncertainty about whether the ball had gone out of play before Soucek's strike. Despite a detailed VAR check, officials were unable to conclusively determine if the ball had crossed the line, leading to the decision to uphold the goal.

Arsenal's manager, Arteta, expectedly expressed his disappointment with the VAR technology after the match when speaking to Sky Sports reporters.

While he didn't blame the loss entirely on the VAR decision, he emphasised the inadequacy of the technology in providing clear and decisive evidence in such critical game moments.

He told reporters, “If the technology we have at the moment is not good enough to give us that answer [of whether the ball went out], what we have to do is, without that, win the game.

“I haven’t seen it. They’re saying it’s not conclusive. It’s a shame that with the technology we have, it’s not that clear so we can say whether it’s out or in. It’s done. It’s gone. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”

This incident adds to a series of controversies involving VAR in the Premier League, with Arteta having previously criticised the system following a game against Newcastle United. These repeated incidents have sparked debates about the effectiveness and reliability of VAR in crucial match decisions.

Arsenal's defeat, marked by the VAR controversy, had implications for their position in the Premier League standings. The loss was a setback in their campaign to secure the top spot in the league, but they will be hoping to remedy that when they play against Fulham this weekend.