Mikel Arteta has shared his shock and dissatisfaction after VAR ruled out what could have been Fulham’s winning goal against Arsenal in their Premier League match on Sunday.
The Gunners were hoping to reduce the gap to Liverpool, whose match against Everton had been called off on Saturday. However, the game ended in a draw, extending Arsenal’s winless run against Fulham to three consecutive games.
Arsenal’s encounter in West London was a significant chance to narrow the gap to Liverpool to just four points. Instead, they remain six points behind the league leaders, with one more match played. Nonetheless, Arsenal holds a slim two-point lead over last season’s champions, Manchester City.
The match saw Raul Jimenez put Fulham ahead early, but Arsenal equalized through William Saliba following a controversial offside decision. Towards the end of the game, the Gunners appeared to have scored a potential match-winning goal when Gabriel Martinelli assisted Bukayo Saka.
However, Martinelli was flagged offside, resulting in the goal being ruled out, a decision that clearly frustrated Arteta.
After the game, Arteta expressed his displeasure about the disallowed goal and the narrow margins that decided the match. Speaking to Match of the Day, he said, “Very disappointed not to win the game. Overall, we absolutely dominated from start to finish, executing our game plan effectively. Unfortunately, we conceded a goal from a single shot, but the team’s performance and their desire to win were remarkable.”
Arteta went on to emphasize the frustrating nature of Premier League football, where small margins can heavily influence the outcome. “It’s incredibly unfortunate that such fine margins can decide games. That’s the most disappointing aspect tonight,” he added.
The Arsenal manager also acknowledged his team’s response after going behind early, praising their resilience and determination to equalize. “We responded immediately after conceding, equalized, and kept pushing for another goal. The team gave everything until the final whistle, but unfortunately, we didn’t get the reward we deserved today,” Arteta said.
Looking back on the missed chance to capitalize on Liverpool’s inactivity, Arteta admitted that the result was a setback. “We came here aiming to replicate our recent success. The performance was undoubtedly there, and the chances to win were high. But this is football, and the margins are incredibly fine,” he concluded.
Paul Merson, a former Arsenal player, also criticized Martinelli’s position during the buildup to the disallowed goal. Speaking on Sky Sports, he said, “He was offside, and in football terms, what Martinelli did is unacceptable.”