Manchester United icon Peter Schmeichel has once again voiced his strong disapproval of Arsenal's playing style, labelling it 'ugly' and questioning a controversial VAR decision that favoured the Gunners in their crucial 1-0 victory over West Ham on Sunday.
Schmeichel's Criticism of Arsenal's Style
The former goalkeeper, who also played for Manchester City, has been a consistent critic of Mikel Arteta's side. After Arsenal's 1-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield in August, Schmeichel expressed his frustration on Viaplay, stating: 'I have never in my life ever wanted a team to win a game of football more than Liverpool today. Arsenal bring an ugly brand of football to our game.' He added: 'I don't want to insult Arsenal but their brand of football is so annoying to watch, it's designed to exploit opponents while waiting for set pieces.'
Controversial VAR Decision
The latest controversy erupted after Arsenal's Leandro Trossard scored an 83rd-minute winner at the London Stadium. West Ham thought they had snatched a late equaliser through Callum Wilson, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review. Referee Chris Kavanagh ruled that West Ham's Pablo had fouled Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya by grabbing his arm as he jumped.
Schmeichel's Reaction
Schmeichel was incensed by the decision, arguing that Arsenal's reliance on set-piece tactics would not have put them top of the table if such actions were considered fouls. 'That decision today, it's just so wrong on so many levels,' he told Viaplay. 'What really makes me angry is that Arsenal would never be top of the league if that's a free kick. That's how they've scored so many goals by blocking people, holding people, doing all kind of things, and then we get to this point... it takes VAR five minutes.' He added: 'It cannot be a free kick, it cannot... I think it's so wrong, I just don't understand why all of a sudden that's a free kick, because it's not been for any teams all the way throughout the season.'
Arteta's Response
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta defended the officials, praising their courage. He said: 'A call from the refs that I think is very brave, but very consistent with what they've been talking about all season. So when I have to be critical, I have been. And it is a free kick and the goal has to be disallowed. So congratulations because they made a big call in very, very difficult circumstances.'
Title Race Implications
The win re-established Arsenal's five-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola's side have a game in hand. The controversy has intensified the debate over Arsenal's tactics and the consistency of VAR decisions in the Premier League.
