There was a lot of criticism about VAR and match officials during Arsenal’s match against Newcastle, and Alan Shearer took an unexpected stand.
Former Newcastle forward Alan Shearer has concurred with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s assertion that the referees in the Premier League “lack the necessary quality.” This agreement arises following a contentious match between Newcastle and Arsenal that once again brought the competence of referees and VAR into question.
The match was a closely contested affair with limited scoring opportunities until it suddenly intensified when Kai Havertz made a reckless challenge near the sideline. While VAR conducted a review, a minor scuffle broke out among players, but the ultimate decision was that the tackle was not dangerous and no red card was issued.
VAR subsequently had to scrutinize another potential red card incident when Bruno Guimaraes executed a challenge on Jorginho with his elbow and forearm leading the way, yet no card was given. The game had few noteworthy moments until the second half when the stalemate was finally broken.
A delivery from Joe Willock located Joelinton, who headed the ball down for Anthony Gordon to blast home, providing the home team with the lead. Nevertheless, more controversy ensued as VAR assessed three different scenarios, including the ball potentially being out of play, a foul, and an offside appeal.
None of these three scenarios could be conclusively proven, and the goal was allowed to stand, much to the frustration of Arteta, who expressed his dismay after the game, condemning the referees by saying, “It’s a disgrace, it’s embarrassing. That’s how I feel, and that’s how everyone in that dressing room feels.”
“We’ve received an overwhelming number of messages expressing outrage and frustration about the current state of affairs. It’s truly embarrassing, and I apologize for it. Personally, I’m deeply disturbed. That’s how strongly I feel about this. It’s simply unacceptable.”
Despite his association with Newcastle, it’s evident that Arteta finds an ally in Shearer, who has also raised doubts about the quality of referees. Shearer shared his perspective on The Rest Is Football podcast, saying, “Howard Webb may not openly admit it, but in my opinion, and I believe many share this view, we have the best football, the best stadiums, the best managers, and the best atmosphere in our country. Yet, our referees fall short. Unfortunately, the current pool of referees isn’t up to par. It’s a challenging job, and they often find themselves in lose-lose situations, but I don’t believe we have a strong group of referees, and the introduction of VAR has only exacerbated the problem.”
The aftermath of this situation remains uncertain, and it’s unclear whether there will be further statements addressing the issue. However, it’s evident that the scrutiny of referees is growing louder with each passing week and is approaching a critical level.
