Bukayo Saka, in his post-match interview, shared his thoughts on the controversial penalty decision in the Newcastle vs Arsenal fixture.
Bukayo Saka admitted he was left “speechless” by VAR’s involvement during Arsenal’s 2-1 comeback win over Newcastle United, claiming such decisions “always seem to go against” the Gunners.
Newcastle had looked on course for victory after Nick Woltemade’s opener in the 35th minute, but late goals from Mikel Merino and Gabriel Magalhães turned the game around in Arsenal’s favor.
Earlier, Arsenal thought they had a penalty when Viktor Gyökeres went down under pressure from Nick Pope, only for referee Jarred Gillett to overturn the decision after being sent to the monitor. Replays showed the Newcastle goalkeeper made contact with the ball before colliding with the striker.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Saka voiced his frustration: “If VAR is meant for clear and obvious errors, then why did it take the referee so long to decide? That tells you it wasn’t clear and obvious. It’s little moments like this that always seem to go against us. Honestly, I was speechless. Thankfully, we still got the result we deserved today.”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta echoed his winger’s views, insisting VAR should not have stepped in. “I saw it live and watched it back,” he said. “We’ve been told for years that VAR only interferes with clear and obvious mistakes. For me, this wasn’t one. It was a penalty and the intervention shouldn’t have happened.”