Arsenal manager rues lack of VAR call on penalty claim

ARSENAL boss Unai Emery was bemused why VAR did not award his side a penalty in the first half of their defeat to Sheffield United.

The result leaves Arsenal in fifth place on 15 points, two behind Leicester City and Chelsea, while Sheffield United moved into ninth on 12 points.

The 1-0 reverse continued a poor run of away form for the Gunners, who have now picked up just two points from their last four league matches on the road.

Emery was left unhappy with the result and believed his side should have been awarded a spot kick for a shirt pull by John Egan on Sokratis Papastathopoulos, which was waved away by referee Mike Dean.

“With VAR, the foul on Sokratis should have been reviewed,” said the Arsenal manager.

“It was clear but we have to accept it. We did not deserve to lose and we will think about where we can improve.”

Pepe squandered a glorious chance to give Arsenal the lead midway through the first half when he got on the end of a Sead Kolasinac cross but miscued his finish horribly from six yards out.

Mousset punished the visitors’ wastefulness when Jack O’Connell headed a corner into his path for the striker to bundle in from close range after half an hour.

Granit Xhaka connected well with a half-volley on the brink of half time but was denied by a flying save from Dean Henderson, and after the break Arsenal substitute Dani Ceballos fluffed a volley from a promising position to give the goalkeeper a comfortable save. – Eurosport