The publication of the photograph showing the ball clearly over the line before the Newcastle goal, and the comments from Mikel Arteta clearly sum it all up. Indeed one doesn’t have to read the whole thing to know that he was a touch miffed, although in case you missed it, here’s a part of the commentary…
“I have been in this country more than 20 years and [the officiating] is nowhere near the level of the best league in the world. I feel sick to be part of this. I feel sick. It’s not a goal, it’s not a goal.”
Of course this is not the sort of situation that we hear about Manchester City getting into very often, in part perhaps because they don’t have so many tight games (maybe because they can spend anything they want to buy ever more expensive players) or maybe even when they do have a tight match controversial refereeing doesn’t seem to follow them.
But perhaps the biggest concern ought to be for something that the newspapers and associated media don’t ask: why does this sort of refereeing cock-up happen at all? Why was it so difficult to see if the ball had gone over the line? Or put another way, why wasn’t the technology up to it?
After all this is apparently the richest league in the world, and seemingly every game is sold out, with the matches relayed on TV all around the planet. Surely better tech communications with the ref could be afforded.
I suspect however (but of course have no evidence since I am not an insider) that instead of spending money on technology, PGMO invest quite a lot of time in persuading journalists worldwide not to suggest that VAR got it wrong or that referees maybe have a bias (as any quick review of their propensity to oversee home or away wins would suggest is the case).
Or maybe there is no need for such investment, for it is quite possible (although again I don’t have evidence) that if any media outlet does suggest there is something amiss with refereeing and VAR, it simply has its media passes withdrawn.
There’s no doubt that at Arsenal the journalists have a far more luxurious setting from which to watch matches, complete with “refreshments” and I guess no one really wants to give up being paid to watch football rather than having to be on a 20 year waiting list to get a ticket.
So there is every reason (even if no proof) to believe that the journalists bow to the will of the PGMO, and they all sing from the same songbook. But in this game, there’s little doubt that the ball was out before the goal.
Of course that wasn’t all there was to this. For likewise the lack of Odegaard was a very serious loss for us and maybe with him we could have won. Certainly the press-room natter is that Odegaard will be OK for Seville in the next game. Let’s hope so.