Mikel Arteta exempted VAR overturned Emile Smith-Rowe’s red card while young star in Newcastle victory after postponement from technology
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was pleased that VAR worked for Newcastle’s 2-0 FA Cup victory and praised Emile Smith-Rowe’s growing importance.
The 20-year-old proved the difference for the starters and grabbed the opening in the 109th minute after the tie went to extra time.
It would have been a different end for Smith-Rowe, the academy’s graduate, if the assistant video referee hadn’t told referee Chris Kavanagh to review a decision in depth.
VAR overturned Emile Smith Rowe’s red card at the break in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Newcastle
The youngster won the match for the Gunners in the FA Cup, the extension of the third round
Smith-Rowe was shown a red card for a challenge on Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff, but after using the field monitor he was downgraded to yellow and the youngster took full advantage of his memories to help the Gunners reach in the fourth round.
Only nine of the 32 draws this weekend will have VAR – those played on Premier League pitches.
And Arteta said: “I was going crazy because when I saw the action on TV, I didn’t think it could be fired, but thank God the regulators decided to have VAR and today it worked the way it should, so I’m so happy I have this.
“We believe in Emile, she is doing very well. He grows and becomes more and more important in the team.
Referee Chris Kavanagh was booked for kicking the ball away after the whistle.
“Today he showed that again the way he came, the personality he played with and I asked him to be more in the box, more of a threat in front of the goal and he scored a really important goal for us. “
Smith Rowe was the first person to address Arteta on the bench after a tiring hour of play at the Emirates Stadium, where the chances were at a higher level.
His introduction, along with Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka, who appeared later in the half, helped Arsenal start the title defense with a 2-0 victory.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had been a peripheral figure before Arteta appealed to the cavalry, but scored his sixth goal of the season with a 117-minute touch from Kieran Tierney’s center.
Mikel Arteta was delighted that the technology was in action for the decision to change the game
It was another positive for the owners, but they were hit before the launch, when Gabriel Martinelli, who recently returned from a serious knee injury, suffered an ankle problem during the warm-up and was forced to miss after he was appointed in the early XI.
Arteta admitted: “I am evacuated. I was in my office before the game and one of the coaches came in and said that Gabi was injured and twisted his ankle.
“I went to the medical room and he cried and suffered a lot. We’ll have to see how he is. He didn’t look good, he was in pain, so I imagine we won’t get any good news from him.
Martinelli will go for a scan, but is expected to miss Thursday’s home game with Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Arteta is waiting to hear the seriousness of Gabriel Martinelli’s injury after he fell into the heat
“It’s his character that he wants to play the next game, that he doesn’t care and can deal with the pain,” Arteta said.
“Hopefully there’s nothing too serious, but at first it didn’t look good.”
Steve Bruce could not hide his disappointment at the missed opportunity for Newcastle, Andy Carroll being guilty of wasting two excellent chances.
Geordie scored his first goal for the club in 10 years during last weekend’s home defeat to Leicester and could have added his first in the 56th minute when he left a cross from Jeff Hendrick. and let an even better chance slip. on the break when he failed to defeat Bernd Leno from a distance.
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce ruined his team’s missed opportunities in close defeat
Bruce said: “When you come here, especially for a cup tie, and when you are presented with the opportunities we have had, you hope to take advantage of them.
“I could not be more satisfied with the way they carried out their activity, but we had to take advantage of the great opportunity when it appeared.
“No one is more disappointed than Andy that he didn’t take one, but his general game and the way he led the line was great. It would have been a wonderful week for him.
