Gary Lineker shares his huge VAR complaint after Newcastle vs Arsenal, ‘destroying the game…’

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PGMOL will certainly have a lot to reflect on following several high profile VAR calls in Newcastle’s match with Arsenal at St James’ Park.

Early in Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Newcastle, VAR encouraged referee Jarred Gillett to reconsider his decision to award a penalty for Nick Pope’s foul on Viktor Gyokeres.

And after going to the pitch side monitor, Gillett decided that he had in fact made a ‘clear and obvious’ mistake.

Newcastle fans were torn on that penalty call, and there was plenty more for supporters on both sides to get their teeth into throughout the match.

Eddie Howe’s side probably felt aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty for a Gabriel Magalhaes handball, and there was a lack of consistency when it came to VAR intervention during the 90 minutes.

Gary Lineker left so frustrated with how VAR was used in Newcastle vs Arsenal

That being said, Gary Lineker shared his VAR grievances when speaking on ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast after watching Newcastle vs Arsenal.

Lineker was incandescent with VAR at this point, and he once again shared his desire for the Premier League to change how it’s used.

Initially discussing the Pope/Gyokeres penalty call, Lineker said: “Pope did get a foot on it, I think there’s no question about that. 

“This is the problem with the VAR. I sense it was probably not a penalty, I think he did get a foot on the ball and then Gyokeres sort of sensed he was going to touch him after that and threw himself in the air a little bit.

“But if it had been given and there hadn’t have been VAR, I don’t think anyone would really have complained.

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“And this is where VAR cannot win in its current format, and I get bored of hearing myself say it.

“But it’s unworkable, VAR, because referees, VAR, you don’t know where the line is. One week it’s a high bar, then it’s a low bar, then it’s a slightly lower bar, and then it’s a higher bar.

“Because was that a howler of a decision? No. Was it the right decision in the end? Probably.

“But it comes to the point where you go, well, all we want is the right decision. But they’ve always said, this is not about re-refereeing in the game. But that is re-refereeing in the game.”

Premier League urged to change VAR rules after Newcastle vs Arsenal

Continuing his point, Lineker insisted that the Premier League needed to implement an appeal system, similar to what is used in other sports.

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg criticised VAR in Aston Villa vs Fulham, and there’s clearly a league-wide issue with the system as it is.

And Lineker described an appeal system as the ‘only way out’ for VAR at this point.

He continued: “The only way out of this mire for VAR, because I think we’re all sick of it now, it’s boring, you have to wait so long, the only way out is an appeal system, that’s it.

“You have to stipulate why you’re appealing, you know, number eight, push number five in a penalty, so every corner is not looked at.

“It’s only an appeal. Maybe one and a half. If it’s held up, you were right, you keep your life like in other sports.

“I don’t see any other way around it, otherwise, it’s awful, it’s destroying the game.”