On Sunday, Ian Wright and Dermot Gallagher disputed about the decision to allow Newcastle United’s goal against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at St James’ Park.
Arsenal fans yelled that the ball had gone out of play after Joe Willock’s cross, with Ian Wright stating, “the angles we’re seeing, the ball looks out of play.”
The legendary Arsenal player was challenged by former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher, who said it was “impossible to tell” and “they can’t be sure that half of that ball is overhanging the line.”
Ian Wright was certain that Joelinton of Newcastle United fouled Gabriel Magalhaes because he was preventing him from heading the ball by having “two hands on his back,” so that wasn’t the only talking point.
Dermot Gallagher actually agreed with that, telling Premier League Productions (04/11/23 at 7:40 pm) that “it was a foul” on the Arsenal defender.
There was a lengthy VAR check on that call, as you can understand, and in the end, to the delight of the Newcastle United fans, the goal stood and the three points followed.
Newcastle United-Arsenal VAR
“The entire ball has to be over the entire line,” Gallagher said. “Looking at it from that angle, it’s impossible to tell.”
“That is why I say that.” We see people taking corners now, and half of them believe the ball is outside of its circumference, but because it overhangs, you are allowed. That, I believe, is the issue here. They can’t be certain that half of the ball is overhanging that line, so there’s no evidence that the ball is out of play.”
“From the angles we’re seeing, the ball appears to be out of play,” Wright added. That is, without a doubt, what we should be judging it on. It’s not as if we can’t say definitively. What we can see with our eyes, because we don’t have any other way to prove that circumference is crossing the line, we should surely rule that ball out of play.”
Gallagher responded: “Wrighty, I get that and I fully understand what you are saying. But the problem is, you see many, many corners taken. When you see it down the line, you think that the ball is out of the quadrant. But when you go to it, part of the ball hangs over the line.”
On Joelinton’s foul, Wright stated: “What I am saying with this one, people saying it’s sour grapes from me, to a certain extent it is. There are two hands on his back there. You look at Joelinton, he is forcing him in the back there. Gabriel probably gets a head on that ball if he isn’t impeded.”
“There was no foul on the field,” Gallagher added. I believe that if you look at the three components of what we are discussing. Two of them are inconclusive and cannot be verified. I believe this is the easiest of the bunch. “I believe it’s a foul.”
“We have two referees in there, and they don’t see that as a foul,” Wright responded. “How can they not consider that a foul?”
Mikel Arteta furious
The Arsenal manager isn’t afraid to express himself, whether on the field or in post-match interviews.
Well, he let rip after yesterday’s game, telling Sky Sports, ‘I feel sick,’ when the goal was awarded after a lengthy VAR review.
You don’t think Arteta will request a replay, do you? Maybe they can schedule it on the same day as Tottenham vs. Liverpool.
If Arsenal fans think they have it bad, they should look at Wolves, who were undone by another questionable VAR decision following their 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United.
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