Granit Xhaka has spoken out against the refereeing during Arsenal's frustrating 1-1 draw with Brentford on Saturday.
The Gunners' Premier League title pursuit took a major dent when it emerged that VAR Lee Mason forgot to draw the relevant offside lines in the build-up to Brentford's equaliser against Mikel Arteta's side. Bees' midfielder Christian Norgaard, who assisted goalscorer Ivan Toney was offside during the build-up to the goal, a decision that left Xhaka far from impressed.
"We are disappointed because what we hear is that the blocker was offside, where we have got our player," the Swiss international said via the Evening Standard. "I don’t know why they change the rules weekend by weekend.
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"But it’s the referee’s decision not to give the offside, our decision to mark the players, the runners. We didn’t do it and you concede a goal like this."
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta certainly felt aggrieved as well, voicing his frustrations with the officiating after the match. "Yes I just looked and it is offside yes," Arteta said after the match had ended.
"It is frustrating but they will probably give an explanation later in the week. Today we haven’t got one. You have to apply certain principles in defending but that depends on you following…
"If we apply what the referee told us every single week, before the game, that blockers, if you are offside, it will be offside. It’s offside."
The Gunners welcome second-placed Manchester City to the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night in a potentially title-defining fixture in north London.
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