Coach Mikel Arteta was displeased, but refused to comment on the controversial situations that were unfavorable to Arsenal in the 0-1 loss at Aston Villa in round 16 of the Premier League.
The controversial moments came in the second half of the match at Villa Park on December 9. In the 47th minute, Gabriel Jesus controlled the ball in the penalty area and was kicked in the calf by fellow midfielder Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian striker fell to the ground to demand a penalty, but referee Jarred Gillett did not blow the whistle and let play continue. When the ball went out of play, VAR stepped in and did not overturn the on-field decision.
Gabriel Jesus (left) collides with Douglas Luiz during Aston Villa's 1-0 win over Arsenal in the 15th round of the Premier League at Villa Park on December 9. Photo: Reuters
In the 90th minute, from a cross by captain midfielder Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz tried to compete with Matty Cash and then put the ball into the net. But the goal was disallowed because the German player let the ball touch his hand. According to FA regulations, a goal will not be recognized if the player scores immediately after letting the ball touch his hand or arm, even if it is accidental.
Kai Havertz handled the ball, leading to a goal being disallowed in Aston Villa's 1-0 win over Arsenal in the 15th round of the Premier League at Villa Park on December 9. Photo: Reuters
After the match, when asked about the decision to disallow Havertz's goal, Arteta said: "I don't want to comment." The Spanish coach was also unhappy with the decision not to penalize Luiz for a foul on Gabriel Jesus in the penalty area, while also implying that the situation was "even more obvious".
When asked further about his views on the two situations, Arteta replied: "Clear and obvious. That's my opinion. That's all I can say."
Arteta has already been charged by the FA with breaching rule E3.1 for "comments constituting misconduct by insulting the officials and/or prejudicing the game and/or bringing the game into disrepute" for criticising the referee after the defeat at Newcastle on 4 November. But the FA has yet to make a final decision on the case.
On Sky Sports , former player Jamie Redknapp said Gillett and the VAR team - who spent several minutes examining the incident before deciding against Havertz's goal - had made the right decision. He also said Luiz's impact in the challenge with Jesus was not enough to warrant a penalty.
At Villa Park yesterday, Arsenal played better with 61% possession, 12 shots with 5 on target - compared to 10 and 3 for Aston Villa. The visitors created many chances, with Odegaard's close-range shots in unmarked positions, even putting the ball in the net twice, but both were disallowed. Therefore, the "Gunners" returned empty-handed when John McGinn scored in the 7th minute.
Arteta said the result did not reflect the game and said Arsenal were the best team at Villa Park since they won 4-2 at Aston Villa in February 2023. The Spaniard was unhappy with his players for missing many chances, but accepted responsibility for the shortcomings. He also sees Aston Villa as title contenders, currently third in the Premier League.
Coach Mikel Arteta was banned from coaching and had to sit in the stands at Villa Park on December 9, watching Aston Villa lose 0-1 to Arsenal in the 16th round of the Premier League. Photo: Reuters
Arteta was banned from coaching this match after picking up three yellow cards since the start of the season. On the experience of watching the match from the stands, the 41-year-old coach said: "I tried to adapt, and I think the players played well. The whole team tried to convey everything we wanted and had a good performance."
On December 13, Arsenal will visit PSV in the final round of Group B of the Champions League. Since the Gunners are certain to advance as the top team, Arteta can calculate his squad for the next match against Brighton in the 17th round of the Premier League at Emirates Stadium on December 17.
Hong Duy
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