VAR controversy denies Bukayo Saka crucial late winner

In a recent football match in England, Arsenal's title hopes encountered a setback when they faced Fulham. The game began with Raul Jimenez scoring for Fulham early in the first half, which established a challenging situation for Arsenal, who struggled to find their rhythm. Arsenal managed to level the scores with a goal from William Saliba shortly after the start of the second half, showcasing a resurgence in their gameplay. Yet, as the match neared its conclusion, Arsenal believed they had found a late winner when Bukayo Saka scored a close-range goal. However, this joy was short-lived as the goal was ruled out for offside after a video assistant referee (VAR) review determined that Gabriel Martinelli was offside in the lead-up to the goal. Following the match, Paul Merson, a former player and pundit, delivered harsh criticism towards Martinelli's positioning, describing his actions as 'criminal'. Merson emphasized the need for players in such critical positions to maintain awareness and stay onside when they possess such pace. He suggested that Martinelli should expect disciplinary action from management for his critical error. Captain Martin Ødegaard also reflected on the match, expressing frustration about not securing a win and the necessity for Arsenal to focus on their performance by creating more goal-scoring opportunities in future matches. He acknowledged Fulham’s strength as a team but maintained that Arsenal possessed the qualities needed to achieve better results. Overall, the match for Arsenal was marked by moments of promise yet plagued by missed opportunities and crucial misjudgments, leaving them in a challenging position in their pursuit of the title.