Arsenal are not the only team unhappy with VAR this weekend. Celta Vigo striker Iago Aspas angrily threw a pitchside monitor to the ground after a late penalty decision for the Galicians was overturned against Sevilla in LaLiga on Saturday.
Aspas had set up Swedish centre-back Carl Starfelt to give Celta the lead after 22 minutes, but the former Liverpool striker was substituted following a red card for Renato Tapia in the second half.
The 36-year-old was watching from the sidelines during a frantic finale which saw Youssef En-Nesyri equalise for Sevilla after 84 minutes and 10-man Celta look to have won a penalty after Anastasios Douvikas was pulled down by Jesus Navas in the closing stages.
However, that decision was overturned by a VAR check and a furious Aspas threw the pitchside monitor to the ground in disgust.
"The balance always falls on the same side," Aspas told DAZN after the final whistle. "And today when it could have favoured us, he goes to the VAR to see it when all of Spain has seen it.
"We have been through 12 days and in seven games the balance always falls the other way. We want to be the best league in the world and we are not advancing like this."
É o mellor pic.twitter.com/CoOPvZLAf1November 4, 2023
The game finished 1-1, leaving Celta with just seven points and only one win from their 12 games in LaLiga this season.
That leaves the Galicians down in 18th place and it was not the first time they have been upset with VAR this season, with coach Rafa Benitez angry at a call in the recent 2-1 loss against Las Palmas.
Aspas, though, said he regretted his actions in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.
"Yesterday I made a mistake," he wrote. "I shouldn't have channelled my frustration in that way.
"It hurts because it's not the example I want to give to the young Celta fans."
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