‘Destroying the game’: Gary Lineker left fuming with VAR after watching Newcastle vs Arsenal…

‘Ruining the game’: Gary Lineker expressed his frustration with VAR after watching the match between Newcastle and Arsenal.

PGMOL will undoubtedly have much to contemplate after several controversial VAR decisions during Newcastle’s game against Arsenal at St James’ Park.

In the early stages of Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle, VAR prompted referee Jarred Gillett to reassess his ruling on a penalty for Nick Pope’s foul on Viktor Gyokeres.

After reviewing the situation on the pitch side monitor, Gillett concluded that he had indeed made a ‘clear and obvious’ error.

Newcastle supporters were divided over that penalty decision, and there were numerous other incidents for fans on both sides to discuss throughout the match.

Eddie Howe’s team likely felt wronged for not receiving a penalty for a handball by Gabriel Magalhaes, and there was inconsistency regarding VAR interventions during the 90 minutes.

Gary Lineker was left extremely frustrated with the application of VAR in the Newcastle vs Arsenal match.

That said, Lineker voiced his concerns about VAR while appearing on ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast after watching the game.

Lineker was furious with VAR at this point, reiterating his wish for the Premier League to reform its usage.

While initially addressing the Pope/Gyokeres penalty incident, Lineker remarked: “Pope did make contact with the ball, I believe that’s indisputable.

“This is the issue with VAR. I feel it was likely not a penalty; I think he did touch the ball first, and then Gyokeres seemed to anticipate contact and exaggerated his fall.

“However, if the penalty had been awarded without VAR, I doubt anyone would have raised significant objections.

“And this is where VAR struggles in its present form, and I find myself weary of repeating it.

“Yet, VAR is impractical because referees and VAR officials are unclear about the standards. One week it’s a high threshold, then a low one, followed by a slightly lower threshold, and then back to a higher one.

“Was that a poor decision? No. Was it ultimately the correct choice? Likely.

“However, we reach a point where we simply desire the right call. They have consistently stated that this is not about re-refereeing during the match. Yet, that is precisely what is happening with re-refereeing in the game.”

Premier League called upon to revise VAR regulations following Newcastle vs Arsenal

Expanding on his argument, Lineker emphasized the necessity for the Premier League to adopt an appeal mechanism, akin to those utilized in other sports.

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has criticized VAR during the Aston Villa vs Fulham match, highlighting a clear systemic issue across the league.

Lineker characterized an appeal system as the ‘only viable solution’ for VAR at this juncture.

He elaborated: “The sole escape from this predicament for VAR, as I believe we are all fatigued by it now, is that it’s tedious, and the waiting time is excessive. The only resolution is an appeal system, that’s all there is to it.

“You must specify the reason for your appeal, for instance, player eight pushing player five in a penalty situation, so not every corner is scrutinized.

“It’s strictly an appeal. Perhaps one and a half. If it’s upheld, you were correct, and you maintain your position as in other sports.

“I can’t envision any alternative solution; otherwise, it’s dreadful, and it’s ruining the game.”