Mikel Arteta relieved VAR smashed Emile Smith-Rowe’s red card as youngster shines in Newcastle win after tech delay
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was grateful that VAR was in action for their 2-0 win over Newcastle in the FA Cup and praised the growing importance of Emile Smith-Rowe.
The 20-year-old proved the difference for the holders, taking the opener in the 109th minute after the draw went to extra time.
It could have been a different ending for academy Smith-Rowe had the video assistant referee not told referee Chris Kavanagh to review a decision deep in injury time.
VAR destroyed Emile Smith Rowe’s red card during stoppage time in Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Newcastle
The youngster became the competition winner for the Gunners in the third round extra time of the FA Cup
Smith-Rowe was red carded for a challenge on Newcastle’s Sean Longstaff, but after using the pitchside monitor it was lowered to yellow and the youngster took full advantage of his delay to help the Gunners advance to the fourth round.
Only nine of the 32 draws this weekend will have VAR – played on the Premier League site.
And Arteta said, ‘I went crazy because when I saw the action on TV I didn’t think he could be turned away, but thank god the regulators decided to have VAR and today it worked the way it should, so I’m so glad to have that.
‘We believe in Emile, he is doing very well. He grows and becomes more and more important in the team.
Referee Chris Kavanagh initially issued a red card for challenge, but changed his decision
“Today he showed that again the way he attacked, the personality he played with and we asked him to be more in the penalty area, more of a threat to the goal and he scored a very important goal for us.”
Smith Rowe was the first person to turn Arteta onto the bench after a tedious hour of play at the Emirates Stadium, where the odds were slim.
His introduction, coupled with Bukayo Saka and Granit Xhaka later in the half, helped Arsenal start the defense of their title with a 2-0 victory.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had been a peripheral figure before Arteta called for the cavalry, but took his sixth goal of the season with a 117-minute tap from the center of Kieran Tierney.
Mikel Arteta was delighted that the technology was in action for the sweeping decision
It was another positive for the keepers, but they got hit before kickoff when Gabriel Martinelli, who only recently returned from a serious knee injury, suffered an ankle problem in the warm-up and was forced to miss after being named in the starting XI.
Arteta admitted: ‘I am upset. I was in my office before the game and one of the coaches came in and said that Gabi hurt himself and twisted his ankle.
‘I went to the medical room and he was in tears and in a lot of pain. We’ll have to see what he is like. It didn’t look good, he was in pain, so I imagine we won’t get good news with him. ‘
Martinelli is going for a scan, but is expected to miss Thursday’s home game with Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
Arteta awaits the seriousness of Gabriel Martinelli’s injury after falling in warm-up
“It’s his character that he wants to play the next game, that he doesn’t care and can take pain,” said Arteta.
“Hopefully nothing is serious, but it didn’t look good to begin with.”
Steve Bruce couldn’t hide his disappointment at a missed opportunity for Newcastle, with Andy Carroll guilty of wasting two excellent chances.
The Geordie scored his first goal for the club in 10 years in last weekend’s home defeat to Leicester and could have completed his first goal in the 56th minute, putting a Jeff Hendrick cross at his feet and slipping an even better chance . in injury time when he failed to beat Bernd Leno from close range.
Newcastle boss Steve Bruce ruined his side’s missed opportunities in the close-run defeat
Bruce said, ‘When you come here, especially for a cup game, and when you get the chances we had, you hope you can take them.
‘I couldn’t be more happy with how they did their job, but we just had to take the great opportunity when it presented itself.
No one is more disappointed than Andy for not taking one, but his overall play and the way he led the line was great. It would have been a great week for him. ‘
