Mikel Arteta had cause to both curse and applaud VAR on Sunday as the technology proved central to a dramatic, controversy packed, afternoon at Leeds where the excellent Bukayo Saka scored the only goal to ensure Arsenal remain top of the Premier League.
A brief power cut at Elland Road coinciding with the scheduled 2pm kick‑off prompted an electricity surge which severed all links to the technology linking match officials to, among other things, VAR feeds from Stockley Park.
After only 23 seconds the match was halted and Arteta joined his Leeds counterpart Jesse Marsch in taking his players off the pitch. When the game finally got under way again 40 minutes later both VAR and goalline technology were up and running once more and the former proved much needed.
“That delay was worth it,” a relieved Arteta said after his side had registered a highly impressive nine victories in 10 Premier League games, leaving them four points clear of second‑placed Manchester City. “Without…
This article was written by Louise Taylor at Elland Road and originally published on www.theguardian.com