Mikel Arteta declared “thank God” for VAR after Premier League leaders Arsenal held on for a 1-0 win at Leeds United.
Sunday’s recreation at Elland Street was suspended simply a few minutes after it began, as an influence lower was affecting Hawk-Eye and communications between referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR.
The match resumed following a delay of round 40 minutes and Bukayo Saka’s fourth purpose in three matches gave the Gunners a half-time benefit, the England worldwide changing into the primary participant to register 50 purpose involvements throughout Arteta’s reign.
Leeds dominated the second half, Patrick Bamford having a purpose disallowed for a push on Gabriel Magalhaes inside a minute of approaching earlier than lacking a penalty.
Bamford wasted additional clear-cut possibilities as Aaron Ramsdale stored Leeds at bay and there was one closing twist when the Leeds striker was awarded one other spot-kick after being kicked by Gabriel, who was proven a pink card for retaliating.
Nonetheless, referee Kavanagh as a substitute awarded Arsenal a free-kick and confirmed Gabriel a yellow card, having seen on the pitchside monitor that Bamford had shoved the centre-back to the bottom.
A seventh consecutive victory put the Gunners 4 factors clear forward of second-placed Manchester Metropolis’s journey to Liverpool and Arteta was relieved after an action-packed afternoon in West Yorkshire.
50 – Bukayo Saka is the primary participant to have been concerned in 50 targets for @Arsenal underneath Mikel Arteta in all competitions, scoring 26 and helping 24 because the Spaniard took cost. Acolyte. pic.twitter.com/DWKaHcH78g
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 16, 2022
Requested to mirror on the match, the Arsenal boss advised Sky Sports activities: “Hectic! It’s at all times actually intense right here, we had been distinctive within the first half and may have been two or three up.
“Credit score to Leeds within the second half, we made so many errors and didn’t generate momentum however I simply love the relentless ardour the group performed with and the way we discovered a method to win.”
He added on the late VAR determination: “I’ve not seen it however everyone seems to be saying the choice was clear. Thank God they made the system work, that delay was value it as a result of with out VAR I don’t know what would have occurred!”
Arteta praised the character proven by his gamers on the again of a 1-0 Europa League win at Bodo/Glimt, the place Saka scored the one purpose of the sport following his double within the 3-2 victory over Liverpool final weekend.
The Spaniard mentioned: “That is one thing particular. This isn’t a coincidence it exhibits the willingness that I see within the eyes of the gamers to win, to compete.
“Quite a lot of gamers performed in Norway two and a half days in the past, travelled again on Friday and had been nonetheless keen to win so credit score to them.”