Mikel Arteta expressed his shock and frustration after VAR ruled out what could have been Fulham’s winning goal in Arsenal’s Premier League match on Sunday.
Arsenal were hoping to close the gap to Liverpool, whose match against Everton had been postponed. However, the game ended in a draw, extending Arsenal’s winless streak against Fulham to three matches in a row.
The West London encounter presented a crucial opportunity for Arsenal to reduce the gap to Liverpool to just four points, but they remain six points behind the leaders, having played one more match. Despite this, Arsenal holds a narrow two-point lead over defending champions Manchester City.
Fulham took the lead early with a goal from Raul Jimenez, but Arsenal responded through William Saliba after a controversial offside decision. Towards the end of the match, Arsenal thought they had scored a potential winner when Gabriel Martinelli set up Bukayo Saka. However, Martinelli was flagged offside, and the goal was ruled out, a decision that clearly angered Arteta.
After the match, Arteta voiced his dissatisfaction with the disallowed goal and the small margins that affected the result. In an interview with Match of the Day, he said, “Very disappointed not to win the game. Overall, we dominated from start to finish and executed our game plan effectively. Unfortunately, we conceded from a single shot, but the team’s performance and desire were remarkable.”
He further expressed his frustration about the nature of Premier League football, where such fine 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.
Arteta also acknowledged his team’s resilience after going behind early, praising their response to equalize and continue pushing for a winner. “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,” he said.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity 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 there, and the chances to win were high. But this is football, and the margins are incredibly fine,” he concluded.
Former Arsenal player Paul Merson also criticized Martinelli’s position during the buildup to the disallowed goal, stating on Sky Sports, “He was offside, and in football terms, what Martinelli did is unacceptable.”
