'Not acceptable' - Furious Mikel Arteta blasts VAR mistake that 'cost Arsenal two points' against Brentford

  • Mason made huge VAR error
  • Arteta and Arsenal left fuming
  • Gunners boss says apology is not enough

WHAT HAPPENED? Mason was on VAR duty for the Premier League clash and failed to spot a clear offside in the build-up to Ivan Toney’s goal which earned the Bees a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium and robbed Arsenal of two crucial points in the title race.

Chief Refereeing Officer at PGMOL, Howard Webb, contacted Arsenal after the game to apologise and explain how the offside was missed, with Mason also being dropped for the following round of fixtures. And while he acknowledged the apology, Arteta was still left fuming by what happened.

WHAT THEY SAID: “We ended the game with a huge anger and disappointment because that wasn’t a human error,” the Arsenal boss said. “That was a big, big, big, not understanding your job and that is not acceptable. Everybody makes errors and mistakes and we are part of that, me the first one. But that was something else. I wasn’t having it, the club wasn’t having it and I think it’s clear, the consequences of what happened.

“That cost Arsenal two points and that’s not going to be restored. So we are going to have to find those two points somewhere else in the league.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: When asked if he was satisfied after his conversations with PGMOL that a similar error would not happen again, Arteta added: “I will only be satisfied if they give us the two points back which is not going to be the case.

"I appreciate and I think they were really sincere, open and genuine apologies and explanations, which is really good. But it doesn’t take the fact that we have two less points than we should have on the table.

IN THREE PHOTOS:

Mikel Arteta 2022-23Getty

Ivan Toney Arsenal Brentford 2022-23GettyLee Mason VARGetty/GOAL

WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL? The Gunners host Manchester City on Wednesday night in the Premier League.

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