Gary Neville left confused by disallowed Martinelli goal in Arsenal's game against Everton
In a dramatic turn of events during Arsenal's recent clash with Everton at Goodison Park, Gary Neville scratched his head in disbelief as a crucial opening goal was disallowed. The incident in question had the football world buzzing, with Neville openly questioning the accuracy of VAR's decision.
The Gunners were on the offensive early in the match. In the opening 20 minutes, Fabio Vieira's precise pass found Gabriel Martinelli, who calmly slotted the ball into Jordan Pickford's net, seemingly breaking the deadlock. The elated Arsenal fans celebrated, convinced their team had seized the lead.
However, the joy was short-lived. Eddie Nketiah, who played a pivotal role in the build-up, was deemed to be in an offside position. Nketiah had strayed behind Everton's defensive line after a deflection off Beto sent the ball his way. But Neville and many viewers were convinced that Nketiah was onside as he watched the replays unfold.
He said via The Daily Star:
"Well, he's not offside. Everton aren't going to get that decision their way. They're a little bit high up, and Martinelli punishes them."
VAR's intervention left Neville even more perplexed. He added:
"Well, even I am a little confused. I thought he looked well behind the line there. Did they not have a better camera angle than that? That one is a strange one for me. I thought it looked like it came off an Everton player. With so many cameras in the ground, I thought there would be a better angle than the one they just used for VAR."
Beto's deflection was ultimately ruled unintentional, leading to Nketiah's offside decision and the disallowed goal in the Premier League clash. The disallowed Martinelli goal will undoubtedly continue to spark debate about the precision and reliability of VAR decisions, leaving everyone involved in the beautiful game yearning for more clarity and consistency in such crucial moments.
Sam Matterface questions VAR's offside decision in Arsenal vs. Everton clash in the Premier League
Commentator Sam Matterface couldn't hide his astonishment as Arsenal's goal was controversially ruled out for offside in the match between Arsenal and Everton on Sunday, 17 September.
He argued that Beto, Everton's player, appeared to deliberately interfere with Gabriel's attempt to play the ball, further perplexing the VAR decision.
Matterface voiced his bewilderment and said via talkSPORT:
“It can’t possibly be offside. Beto tried to stop Gabriel from playing the ball. He deliberately tried to do it.”
The incident left fans and pundits alike scratching their heads, reigniting the ongoing debate about the consistency and accuracy of VAR decisions in football.