Mikel Arteta makes Liverpool VAR admission as Howard Webb to ‘bow to pressure’

Mikel Arteta has sent his sympathy to Liverpool after they were embroiled in VAR controversy.

The Reds were left aggrieved after Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Tottenham that Luis Diaz had a goal that should have broken the deadlock failed to be awarded. The winger was flagged offside when the game but replays showed he was clearly onside - yet VAR did not intervene because of a miscommunication between the officials. Referees association the PGMOL have since admitted a significant human error was made by VAR referee Darren England.

Liverpool have now submitted a request for VAR audio between England and Hooper to be released, having previously released a statement calling for ‘full transparency’. Debate over the incident continues to rage and Arteta, speaking ahead of Arsenal’s Champions League clash against Lens, was asked if he felt for the Reds.

The Gunners head coach rplied: “For sure, you know at the end you want to get what you deserve. You want to minimise errors that you cannot control away from the work and the job that you do on a daily basis. Everybody is trying to have a really clean and honest game but at the end you have to earn the right to win it and play in the conditions that the rules allow. When that doesn’t happen it’s extremely frustrating.”

Meanwhile, The Telegraph has reported that PGMOL chief Howard Webb is set to ‘bow to pressure’ to release the VAR audio with silence ‘indicating it had become a matter of when, rather than if’ Liverpool’s request would bear fruit. It is suggested that it could spark a VAR overhaul to prevent a repeat.