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Arsenal and VAR and VAR and Arsenal. We\u2019re not messing about here so let\u2019s get straight to the crux of the matter.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s basically the only subject in town though we urge you to try and move things on with mails to theeditor@football365.com<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
I cannot wait for the mailbox. I\u2019m pretty sure there will be many people writing in to rage about that decision on Raya. The boiling of p*** will reach levels never seen before, and it\u2019s a high bar to top this season. They\u2019ll claim to be neutral and only have the integrity of the game at heart but as has been shown all season far too many people just cannot objectively analyse anything regarding Arsenal.<\/p>\n
We will have people tell everyone this is what Arsenal have been scoring all our goals from this season \u2013 without any reference to any goal scored that way. They\u2019ll also deliberately fuse together fouls on goalkeepers (which have always been given for stuff like this) with generally grappling at set pieces from two outfield players (which has reached epidemic levels this season with virtually no punishment \u2013 hi Bernardo Silva)<\/p>\n
They will demand West Ham should instead have been given a penalty because of various grappling in the box \u2013 which every team has a case for about 15 penalties a season.<\/p>\n
There will be talk of boring Arsenal, worst\/tarnished winners, even cheating Arsenal (with no irony for 115 City)<\/p>\n
People will show themselves up in the mailbox, it will be the peak head loss for an Arsenal win. It will be people who have such little stake in the result as well, putting so much energy in to another club, probably a few Liverpool and Man U fans twerking for Man City. Everyone with any ounce of sense agrees that it is a clear foul, but watch people who claim to have no agenda twist themselves in knots with lies to desperately suggest this wasn\u2019t a foul!<\/p>\n
I fully expect those desperate for that West Ham goal to be allowed won\u2019t mention any of the huge decisions City got v Brentford \u2013 the second Nunes foul is a clear penalty and red card.<\/p>\n
I know the editor of the mailbox likes to have some fun with the tagline on a mail and the order of publishing so I dare you to put this one top and let all the anti Arsenal vile follow immediately after to see how accurate my prediction is. READ: 16 Conclusions from West Ham 0-1 Arsenal: Rice, Raya, Arteta, Trossard, Wilson, VAR, corners<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2026I know that you want people to read the mailbox, but just to save people time and to sum it up<\/p>\n Arsenal cheat wah wah wah Anyway, you get the general idea The would be given as a goal against United but the London press can\u2019t tolerate it going against Arsenal. VAR is pointless. \u2026Arsenal clinging on to their bottle, by their finger tips, and once again saved by VAR.<\/p>\n Number of times Arsenal players have far more obviously fouled a keeper and other players this season and it\u2019s not been called, meanwhile Rice is running in to frame with his arms literally wrapped around an opponent dragging him back.<\/p>\n Shame. Not that it was the wrong call, it\u2019s just massively inconsistent. \u2026Remember Saliba had hold of Bayindir\u2019s arm when Arsenal scored against United during the first game of season from a corner, clearly a foul, yet VAR allowed the goal?<\/p>\n I do wonder if those Arsenal fans who said it wasn\u2019t a foul then, had the same opinion when similar happened to Raya against West Ham.<\/p>\n Good to see we have come full circle, and Arsenal have benefited by 4 points from both sides of that particular coin. Not that they\u2019ll care, but let\u2019s just highlight the inconsistency and hypocrisy. \u2026I think it\u2019s reasonable to say that it\u2019s the majority \u2013 if not quite unanimous \u2013 opinion that this season has been, well, quite sh*t. And the reasons for that have been much discussed \u2013 prioritisation of athleticism over skill; systematised patterns over on-the-fly problem solving; too many games over all comps; VAR\u2026.<\/p>\n But, for me (Clive), Disgruntled, RSA hit the nail so squarely on the head<\/strong> it\u2019s probably still seeing stars. It\u2019s the sheer inconsistency of refereeing and VAR decision making that is ruining the Premier League, and it\u2019s reached the point where it has become an existential threat. This isn\u2019t club specific \u2013 my club, Man Utd, have suffered from insane decisions, but I guarantee fans from every club in the league can point to myriad examples too. It\u2019s not even about decisions going against you, or refs getting things wrong. That\u2019s fine. That\u2019s part of football. In a way, we\u2019d probably miss it if it was gone. It\u2019s about not knowing what the parameters are, or what will be enforced and how.<\/p>\n One example \u2013 Licha Martinez gets sent off for a little tug on Calvert-Lewin\u2019s man bun. Fine, if that\u2019s the rule. The next week, a Brentford player does exactly the same thing . It\u2019s the same ref, same VAR team \u2013 and it\u2019s not even a foul.<\/p>\n Rules are enforced arbitrarily. In political philosophy, the arbitrary enforcement of law is a cornerstone of tyranny. As it turns out, it\u2019s also a cornerstone of farce. If the PGMOL don\u2019t get a grip on things next season, I genuinely fear for the future of the league. Italian fans lost trust in Serie A after Calciopoli and both the league and the clubs have never recovered. This vibes-based enforcement of the rules of the game absolutely has the potential to erode trust in a similar manner. Are we arrogant enough to think Man Utd, Liverpool etc are immune in a way that AC Milan and Juventus weren\u2019t? Clubs like Lazio, Parma etc used to have the best players in the world, now they literally can\u2019t compete with Bournemouth for players. The PGMOL need to get this sorted and sorted this summer, or it could be that we\u2019re already in the sunset years of the premier league\u2019s glory. The irony of Arsenal potentially winning the league because of a contentious goal from a corner.<\/p>\n Is grinding out a result the mark of champions or a hallmark of a dull and boring side?<\/p>\n Also something about decisions balancing out across the season.<\/p>\n There will be opinions in abundance. \u2026So it is physical, bruising rugby when Arsenal are attacking \u2014 set pieces especially, but zero-tolerance football the second another team dares to breathe on them. Good to know.<\/p>\n Oh, and full credit to Arteta \u2014 he\u2019s clearly worked tirelessly on the training ground teaching his players to throw themselves to the floor at the faintest suggestion of contact. A real role model for the modern game. \u2026Because it\u2019s Arsenal, many will focus on the foul on David Raya, no one will change the fact that it was given.<\/p>\n Many team benefit from such decisions, City yesterday benefited from 2 fouls in the penalty box.<\/p>\n Me and many Arsenal fas\/supporters won\u2019t care about how we win it. We have been ridiculed and called all sort of names.<\/p>\n 2 more wins and we will be Champions. The VAR decision will be mulled over and discussed to death I\u2019m sure. However, strip away the context of the title race and relegation fight and you know it was the right decision. Arm on the neck, stopping him from jumping, It\u2019s a foul. If I was a West Ham fan I\u2019d be fuming I\u2019m sure, and I\u2019m also sure that many people will scour the internet to find examples of Arsenal fouling players in the same manner and having a goal stand. Football is inconsistent, we know this, we love it, we hate it in equal measure.<\/p>\n It\u2019s also not over yet! This was a big result for Arsenal, but the other two games aren\u2019t a given. Burnley at home looks kind, but god knows Arsenal have messed up games like that before. Palace away the same deal, especially if a win is a must. I\u2019m relieved the Hammers were beaten, but there are still nails to be bitten down to nubs. I\u2019m not sure which made me feel dirtier: celebrating a win for the Gooners, which likely puts them on track for a title win and possible League\/CL double; or celebrating a VAR intervention.<\/p>\n Being a Spurs fan this season has broken me.<\/p>\n Watch now as Spurs respond to West Ham\u2019s collapse in form by losing all three remaining games and allowing the Hammers to creep over the line with a narrow victory over Leeds. To anticipate a mailbox full of raging Hammers, West Ham are where they are because they\u2019ve lost 18 games out of 36, a loss rate of fifty percent. Don\u2019t tell me they are going down because of one VAR decison. \u2026I see West Ham fans everywhere moaning about the disallowed goal.<\/p>\n It was clearly a foul. There is no debate whatsoever. The goalkeeper was fouled by two players.<\/p>\n Focus more on how poor your team played. VAR is a stain on football. Pablo clearly had his arm across Raya, it stopped the keeper from jumping but I very much doubt it caused him to drop the ball. But my problem isn\u2019t that a foul was given for that, it\u2019s that VAR selects that as the only thing that mattered.<\/p>\n Before Pablo\u2019s foul, Trossard had hold of Pablo\u2019s short, Odegaard had his arms wrapped around Todibo and Soucek pushed over Havertz. Give the first one, or just say there\u2019s so much going on we\u2019ll let it play out. That\u2019s what happened pre VAR and I\u2019m looking forward to seeing that again next season.<\/p>\n When we\u2019re relegated it won\u2019t be because of this bullsh*t decision. It will be due to horrific recruitment for 3 years and the terrible way we performed until mid January. Fernandes missing that chance just before Trossard\u2019s goal didn\u2019t help either. New dictionary: Sixyardbox, VARholm<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n Dave Tickner is a wonderful football writer, and he showed why in his 16 Conclusions<\/strong>. An utter madness of a game, explored with intelligence, sanity, eloquence, and humor. I tip my hat to you, sir. <\/div>\n
Rich, AFC (heart rate finally back to normal)<\/strong><\/p>\n
Worst champions ever wah wah wah
Football is corrupt, if it was against other teams\u2026 wah wah wah<\/p>\n
Andrew Goonerabroad Brown<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\nOnly Arsenal get those kind of decisions, say Man Utd fans<\/h2>\n
Anthony Fox<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Badwolf<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Gary Vance, MUFC<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Ben (Arsenal getting one hand on the title by profiting from a goal being disallowed due to a minor impediment of the keeper during a corner is comically ironic, sure, but also the perfect example of what I\u2019m talking about.)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\nArsenal and irony<\/h2>\n
Eoin (and it was a foul on Raya) Ireland<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Kishan<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Lwazi, Cape Town<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\nA voice of reason on Arsenal, decisions and more<\/h2>\n
Andrew<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\nThat was a confusing game for a Spurs fan<\/h2>\n
Chris Bridgeman, Kingston upon Thames<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\nAnticipating a flood that never came<\/h2>\n
Sam<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Rob, Dorset<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\nHere\u2019s one sensible West Ham fan<\/h2>\n
Andy the Hammer (accepted relegation but still holding hope for Leeds tomorrow) <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p>\nThe new VARford dictionary<\/h2>\n
VARitis: Fear of a VAR decision going against ones team.
VARcissism: Feeling every call should be going ones way.
VARicose: Resigned to every VAR decision going against ones team.
VARicate: Good process.
ARSEball: Self explanatory.
VARista: One who revels in \u201dthe process\u201d.
VAResthet: One who calls it first, consistently.
VARollocks: Pure VAR.
VARillation: Inconsistency in VAR decisions.
VARpocalypse: A VAR decision that relegates ones team.
VARsolis: Relief from a VAR decision going ones way.
VARtic: Adverse towards VAR.
VARmatose: Too drunk to care.
VARatic: Calls for a VAR review for everything inside and outside the box.
VARifukakis: Fake Socialist\/ Globalist extrodiare.
VARosity: The integrity of VAR.
VARorist: One who dosen\u2019t know Var exists.
VARquity: It balances out over five seasons, maybe.
VARism: MVMFGA \u2013 Make VAR Make Football Great Aigan.<\/p>\nSome rare praise for F365<\/h2>\n
Peter G, Pennsylvania, USA<\/strong><\/p>\n