Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer are both in agreement over a controversial VAR decision in Arsenal’s 2-1 Premier League win against Everton.
The Gunners secured victory on the last day of the season with Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kai Havertz finding the back of the net as Manchester City ultimately won the Premier League title with a win against West Ham.
Yet there was controversy in the game regarding Arsenal’s second goal, with Gabriel Jesus seemingly handling the ball in the build-up as referee Michael Oliver was called over to the monitor to review the goal, yet Havertz’s close-range strike stood.
And Lineker and Shearer both have the same opinion on the decision.
Lineker and Shearer agree Arsenal’s winning goal vs Everton should have stood
Speaking on the Rest is Football, both Lineker and Shearer agreed that Oliver made the right decision to award the goal to Arsenal and to go with his gut rather than relying on VAR.
Lineker said about Arsenal’s winning goal: “They were a little bit fortunate, there was an interesting decision for the winning goal where in midfield Jesus broke away and it came off his arm and he leaned in a little bit but he kept his arm tucked in and he went through and it leads to the goal.
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“Now, if he had scored, it wouldn’t have counted, but VAR asked the referee to go to the monitor so we thought it would be disallowed, but Michael Oliver overruled it, and we think he was right to do that, even if it did hit his arm, it was tucked into his side and it was an awkward bounce.”
Shearer added: “I think it was the right call, I’m really pleased Michael Oliver stuck to his guns, and I wish more refs have done that this season instead of caving into VAR. It was a tough call, but it wasn’t deliberate, he wasn’t the goalscorer, and his arm was tucked right in, it was the right call.”
Arsenal will hope VAR and officials are as efficient next season
VAR has been one of the main talking points this year, with Arsenal, like every team in the Premier League, on the receiving end of a few questionable decisions that have resulted in dropped points.
And after yesterday’s decision to award Havertz’s goal, Arsenal will be hopeful that VAR is as efficient as it was in that moment, with few expecting the decision to go the Gunners’ way.
Indeed, VAR when used correctly is the way forward in football, and the better the technology is used, the better the product the Premier League and Arsenal will be.