Following Arsenal’s 3-1 Premier League victory against Manchester United on September 3, Gunners striker Gabriel Jesus questioned referee Anthony Taylor’s performance. The Brazilian believed that the official made several poor judgments throughout the confrontation.
On Sunday, the most anticipated match of the weekend matched Arsenal versus Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. Although the game lived up to its promise, with both teams giving it their best, a few contentious officiating decisions left many disappointed.
Marcus Rashford scored the goal for Manchester United in the 27th minute, but Martin Odegaard equalized only 35 seconds later.
Erik Ten Hag’s team seemed to be on route for a significant win until Alejandro Garnacho scored in the 89th minute. However, following a long VAR review, the goal was ruled out for offside.
Arsenal then capitalized on that momentum, scoring twice in the final minutes via Declan Rice and Jesus to secure a 3-1 victory at home.
The conclusion did not sit well with Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag, who blasted the officials in his post-match press conference. The strategist argued that VAR drew the lines for Garnacho’s offside goal from the improper perspective and that his team was denied a penalty kick.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Jesus ignored the Dutchman’s concerns, arguing that the goal should not have stood anyway.
“There were some bad decisions from the referee,” the Brazilian said after the game, according to Metro. “Even with their [disallowed] goal, maybe it was a foul on me, but thankfully it was offside.”
Given the enormity of the game, the debate will undoubtedly go on for some time. Despite the controversy, the Gunners won a vital game against their rivals.
