Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has told the Premier League to persevere with the use of VAR and believes it can be a success in the future.
Arteta is currently in hot water for his comments around officiating after lashing out at the standard of referees following Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat to Newcastle last month.
The Gunners boss labelled the decision to award Anthony Gordon’s winning goal “embarrassing” and a “disgrace”, which has led to him being charged by the FA.
Arteta is waiting to learn what punishment he may get and this weekend his Arsenal side host Wolves.
His opposite number, Gary O’Neil, has been stung by VAR this season and on Monday said “tonight has finally turned me against VAR” after his side lost 3-2 to Fulham.
But asked if he thinks the Premier League should scrap VAR, Arteta said: “No, I think we can improve it and we are trying to do that.
“All those things that are happening I think are probably necessary to improve it and we have to take it that way. It has been a big change.
“Technology is taking a huge responsibility in games and it needs time. If we use it the right way, we are listening to people, we are open, we are humble and we are trying to be constructive, I think we will get to a really, really good place.”
VAR has been in the headlines this week again following Newcastle’s 1-1 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
The Magpies had been on course for a famous win in Paris, but a VAR intervention led to PSG being handed a controversial penalty for a handball by Tino Livramento.
We’re here to make the game better and make clubs better. We all need to win to do that.
“I have sympathy with all my colleagues because I know how beautiful and how challenging the job is,” said Arteta.
“Those moments in front of the camera are not easy ones. You see that in many, many situations already this season as well as last season. We’re here to make the game better and make clubs better. We all need to win to do that.
“It’s a topic that comes up for sure. We talk about many things but that's one of those as well because at the end it has a huge impact on results and our job depends on that.”
Arsenal are currently top of the Premier League and they can extend their lead at the top by winning on Saturday. The rest of the top five are all in action on Sunday, with Manchester City hosting Tottenham in the day’s biggest game.
“We can control what we can do and I’ve learnt that in this league ‘ifs’ are not a very positive thing to have in mind,” Arteta said. “We’re really hungry to play in front of our fans tomorrow and win the game. This is what we are going to try and do.”
