Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta saw bitter rivals Tottenham benefit from a VAR error in Spurs’ dramatic 2-1 win against Liverpool as Luis Diaz’s goal was wrongly ruled out.
Mikel Arteta has pledged his support for Liverpool in the PMGOL clash following their controversial 2-1 defeat to Tottenham.
Arsenal boss Arteta hopes Jurgen Klopp’s side will “get what they deserve” after Luis Diaz’s goal was wrongly disallowed for offside following a blunder between the referees. Diaz would have made it 1-0 for Liverpool, but a VAR error ruled out his goal and allowed Arsenal’s arch-rivals Spurs to take all three points, moving them into second place in the Premier League table.
With the fallout from Saturday’s game spilling over into Monday night, Arteta was asked if he had any sympathy for potential title contenders Liverpool, and he said: “You know for sure at the end you want to get what you deserve. You want to minimize mistakes. That’s something you can’t control every day without work and work. “Everybody tries to play a really clean and fair game, but at the end of the day you have to earn the right to win it and play under the conditions that the rules allow. When that doesn’t happen, it’s very frustrating.”
The Gunners manager, who will take charge of Arsenal against French side Lens in the Champions League on Tuesday, has also been asked a lot about VAR, with the new season set for more criticism than ever. “We had great discussions before the start of the season and everyone had the right intentions to improve the game and find the best way to take it forward,” explained Arteta.
“But it’s true that with everything that has happened already this season, not only in the PL but in other countries, the pressure is working. It’s not easy for them. It’s not easy for any club or any coach because it really affects part of the season or the result and it’s dangerous.”
Asked if referees needed better training to use VAR correctly, Arteta, who spoke to reporters on the phone after his team’s flight to France was delayed due to stormy weather, said: “Well, I don’t know.
“When they explain all the processes that they’re trying to do, it sounds really logical, but in the heat of the moment, but when it comes to millimeters and other things like camera images, it’s very, very different. It’s a shame that it’s going to happen, but I don’t think so at the moment, I think we have the right answers.”
