Still barely able to conceal his anger on Tuesday, Mikel Arteta claimed Arsenal will have to find last weekend’s two lost points — locked away in Stockley Park’s bulging drawer of gaffes — ‘somewhere else’.
Tonight would be advisable. Beating Manchester City would widen the gap back up to six points in a title race which should become more captivating with each passing month.
Arteta will use VAR official Lee Mason’s failure to draw offside lines when assessing Brentford’s equalising goal on Saturday as motivation for his players.
Guardiola cited referees and the home fans as potential problems for City tonight. He knows this episode will whip up the crowd on the sort of night Arsenal have been without for far too long.
‘I will only be satisfied if they give the two points back,’ Arteta said. ‘I appreciate the sincere, genuine apologies, but it doesn’t take away the fact we have two points fewer. Everyone makes mistakes but that was something else. I wasn’t having it, the club wasn’t having it.
Mikel Arteta has spoken out following the PGMOL’s apology for incorrectly allowing Ivan Toney’s goal to stand
VAR Lee Mason forgot to draw offside lines when assessing Ivan Toney’s goal for Brentford
Mason has been removed from VAR duty this weekend following his mistake at the Emirates
‘There was huge anger and disappointment because that wasn’t human error, that was a big misunderstanding of your job. That is not acceptable, I’m sorry. It cost Arsenal two points, we’ll have to find those two points somewhere else in the league.’
Mason will not be involved in this weekend’s matches. For tonight’s game, John Brooks has been stood down after a howler of his own cost Brighton at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Mason and Brooks were among the Premier League’s officials who sat through a video workshop led by PGMOL chief Howard Webb yesterday to ensure there is no repeat of the weekend’s errors.
The PGMOL told Sportsmail on Tuesday night: ‘We accept mistakes were made… however, we are encouraged by the way our officials have responded and are confident they will take the learnings forward.’
The controversy will fuel the hosts. Arteta said: ‘That’s changed to more positive energy, realising this is gone and we are not going to get anything back. We will demand perfection from everybody for 96 minutes to beat them.’
City will have to calm the fury burning inside Arsenal. ‘Our mentality is there,’ Guardiola said. ‘You want it? OK, fight. Take it. It’s in our hands. We’ll defend this title until the last day.’
On City’s lack of focus in training and team meetings since the World Cup, Guardiola added: ‘When we talked, sometimes you would see distracted faces but my feeling now is that everyone is more focused. Maybe it was my fault, maybe I should have been more active and present. The players have good and bad moments, like I have. When I am down I have my staff to lift me up and say, “Let’s go again”. Sometimes the players don’t like it but I have to do it.
‘Here we are not opponents or enemies, we are people who try to do our best. I’m comfortable with what I’m watching now.’
Referees chief Howard Webb was forced to contact Arsenal and Brighton to admit ‘significant efforts in the VAR process’
VAR should have ruled out Ivan Toney’s goal against Arsenal on Saturday which the PGMOL apologised for
If Guardiola’s assessment is right then City have jolted back into gear just in time, because this feels a lot like their first title defence against Liverpool in 2019. Four years ago, City won 18 of their last 19 games to clinch the title. Guardiola will not entertain discussion of a long unbeaten run but another streak like that would surely take the title away from Arsenal.
‘We have to be so aggressive, handle the rhythm and pressure,’ said Guardiola. ‘They are going to create pressure on us through the fans, the referee, the players.
‘I don’t want to drop the Premier League because we are not who we are. If they beat us because they are better then this is sport, I’ll be the first to congratulate them. We need to give our best. My players have to feel that every day.’
source: dailymail.co.uk
