Former Premier League Referee Mark Clattenburg has said that both VAR decisions at the Emirates were wrong.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 27: Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Arsenal reacts to having his team's third goal disallowed following a VAR check during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2019, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 27: Sokratis Papastathopoulos of Arsenal reacts to having his team’s third goal disallowed following a VAR check during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on October 27, 2019, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)

Writing in his Daily Mail column, the 44-year-old said, “Watching England in the Rugby World Cup semi-final, I did not agree with the decisions of TMO but at least I understood them.

“By comparison, VAR left me puzzled at the Emirates Stadium yesterday. I’m still lost as to why they got involved to award Crystal Palace a penalty against Arsenal when, in my opinion, Wilfried Zaha clearly dived.

“Referee Martin Atkinson was right to book the Palace man for simulation. He was in a perfect position to make the call, too. Calum Chambers’ leg was planted and Zaha threw himself to the ground. Atkinson spotted his ploy and produced a yellow card. Then VAR got involved. They told their man on the ground to overturn his original decision and award a spot-kick instead. It was a gift for Palace.

“Then in the last 10 minutes, Sokratis scored to make it 3-2, only for VAR to chalk it off. Meanwhile, those at home and inside the stadium were left trying to work out why. Australian Jarred Gillett was the video official at Stockley Park and I would love to have heard his reasoning.”

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So would we, Mark. So would we.

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