VAR relief Mikel Arteta has turned red card Emile Smith-Rowe back as a young star in Newcastle victory after recovering from technology
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was grateful that VAR worked for their 2-0 win over Newcastle in the FA Cup and praised the importance of Emile Smith-Rowe.
The 20-year-old proved the difference for the keepers and caught the opener in the 109th minute after the tie went into overtime.
It could have been a different ending for a Smith-Rowe academy graduate if the video assistant referee had not told referee Chris Kavanagh to review a decision deep into stoppage time. .
VAR rejected Emile Smith Rowe’s stoppage time in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Newcastle
The youngster went on to become the game winner for the Gunners in the FA Cup in a further third round
Smith-Rowe was shown a red card for challenging Sean Longstaff from Newcastle, but after the inspector next to the pitch was reduced to yellow the youngster made most of the compensation. to help the Gunners through to the fourth round.
Only nine of the 32 links over this weekend will receive VAR – the ones played at Premier League ground.
And Arteta said: ‘I was going crazy because when I saw the act on TV, I didn’t think it could go away but thank God the regulators decided to have a VAR and the -today it worked the way it should work, so i did i am so happy to have it.
‘We believe in Emile, he’s doing really well. He is growing and becoming increasingly important in the team.
Referee Chris Kavanagh initially was shown a red card for a challenge but changed his mind
‘Today he showed that again as he got on, the character he was playing with and we asked him to be bigger in the box, more threatening in front of goal and he got a very important visit for us. ‘
Smith Rowe was the first man to turn Arteta on the bench after an hour of play at the Emirates Stadium, where chances were high.
His introduction, along with Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka coming on later in the half, helped Arsenal start defending their title with a 2-0 win.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had been a fringe icon before Arteta called for the cavalry but grabbed his sixth goal of the season with a 117-minute tap from Kieran Tierney’s center.
Mikel Arteta was thrilled that the technology was in action for the game-changing decision
It was another test for the keepers, but they were dealt a blow before it started when Gabriel Martinelli, who had recently returned from a serious knee injury, suffered an ankle issue in the warm-up and had to missing out after being mentioned in starting XI.
Arteta confessed: ‘I am devastated. I was in my office before the game and one of the coaches came in and said Gabi hurt himself and twisted his finger.
‘I went to the medical room and was in tears and in a lot of pain. We have to see how it is. He didn’t look good, he was in pain so I think we’re not going to get any good news with him. ‘
Martinelli will go for a scan but is expected to miss Thursday’s home game with Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Arteta is waiting to hear about the severity of Gabriel Martinelli’s injury after falling in the warm-up
‘His character is that he wants to play the next game, he’s indifferent and he can handle pain,’ Arteta said.
‘Hopefully nothing too bad, but at first it didn’t look good. ‘
Steve Bruce could not hide his disappointment at a missed opportunity for Newcastle, with Andy Carroll guilty of scrubbing two separate chances.
The Geordie scored his first goal for the club in 10 years when he lost his home at Leicester last weekend and could have added to his record first in the minute. 56th, when he put Jeff Hendrick’s cross wide, and allowed an even better chance to slip in stoppage time when Bernd Leno failed to hit from close range.
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce overcame missed opportunities in the near miss
Bruce said: ‘When you come here, especially for a cup run, and when you get the opportunities that we had, you hope you can take them.
‘I couldn’t have been happier with the way they went about their work but we only had the great opportunity to take it when it came along.
‘No one is more pessimistic than Andrew that he didn’t take one, but his overall play and the way he steered the line was awesome. It would be a good week for him. ‘
