VAR was CORRECT to allow Anthony Gordon’s goal against Arsenal, Howard Webb confirms in blow to Mikel Arteta

HOWARD WEBB has confirmed that Anthony Gordon’s controversial goal against Arsenal was correctly awarded.

The PGMOL’s chief refereeing officer backed the VAR despite Gunners boss Mikel Arteta’s feisty rant post-game.

Howard Webb has said that VAR were correct to allow Anthony Gordon’s goal against ArsenalRex

Mikel Arteta was left fuming during the game when the decision was given against his sideRex

Gordon’s goal was checked for the ball going out of play, an offside, a foul on Gabriel Magalhaes and a handball before it was awarded.

But speaking on Match Officials Mic’s Up, Webb said he was in total agreement with the decisions that were made on the day.

He said: “This was a big moment – an unusual situation with three aspects for the VAR to check whether or not the on-field decision of goal should be overturned.

“We see the ball getting very close to the goalline – don’t forget we have an Assistant Referee who is right in line – the ball hasn’t got a lot of pace as it goes to the goalline, so he’s looking right down the line better than any of our cameras.

“And we know the ball is curved, so it can be over-hanging the line and we need evidence it’s out, and we don’t have that here.

“The ball then comes over and Joelinton challenges Gabriel, and it could be a foul, might be a foul.

“The VAR decides that the evidence from the footage isn’t clear enough to intervene with a recommendation for a review for a clear error.

“I think the talks we’ve seen after, the opinion that is split across a lot of analysis, would suggest that was a correct non-intervention because of the subjectivity.

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Questions were raised about the ball going out of play in the build up to the goal[/caption]

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It was also suggested that Joelinton had pushed Gabriel Magalhaes in the box[/caption]

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There was a check to see if Anthony Gordon was offside too[/caption]

“And then one of those unusual situations where the ball goes between two players, and trying to identify exactly when the ball leaves Joelinton, is really difficult to establish because of the players being so close together.

“So again, no conclusive evidence that Gordon was offside when the ball was last touched. The VAR went through that diligently and identified no clear evidence to intervene to overturn the goal. The process was actually correct.”