The subject of video assistant referees (VAR) reared its head in the Premier League again this week, this time during a match between title challengers Newcastle United and Arsenal.
The Magpies claimed a 1-0 victory in the match, but the nature of their goal drew the ire of Gunners manager Mikel Arteta, who said in his post-match press conference that the decision to allow the goal to stand was an "absolute disgrace."
In question was whether the ball crossed the byline in the run-up to Anthony Gordon's 64th-minute winner, as well as whether Newcastle attacker Joelinton committed a foul on Arsenal defender Gabriel to create the opening for Gordon to pounce on the loose ball. A video review determined that the ball stayed inbounds and that no foul occured in the moments before the strike, and the goal stood.
Naturally, with such big implications in the Premier League title race, the goal and the moments leading up to it are still the topic of conversation nearly a week later, and former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has given his take on the issue.
Speaking to Paddy Power, Sagna said he disagreed with the officials allowing the goal to stand and sympathises with Arteta.
“I’m not a fan of VAR and I've seen the replay of the goal Newcastle scored and the ball wasn’t out," Sagna said.
"From the human eye, it looks like it was out and that’s why Mikel Arteta and Arsenal are so upset.
“Technology was supposed to make everything easier, and I can understand Arteta’s reaction after the game.
"It should also have been a foul on Gabriel for the goal and that’s where the VAR should have stepped in.
"They have so many people looking at it that they should have seen it was a foul."
Sagna's main issue with the way video review is how things are slowed down to determine infractions, when the game is played at full speed.
“The biggest problem with VAR is that they look at everything in slow motion which makes it look different," he explained.
"In slow motion, it might not look so intense, but at full speed in real time, it can be.
"A little push can be a big problem for a defender. I don’t like VAR, so I understand why Arteta is upset."
While the former Gunners and Manchester City man makes no bones about his feelings on VAR, he offered a suggestion to improve its implementation.
“Why don’t they put a player in VAR?" Sagna asked.
"Players have been in the situation before, and they understand whether the foul was deliberate or something that would have a real impact or not.
"A player will understand the situation because they’ve been in it.
“If we want VAR to work, we have to put players who have played the game, not just people who sit in an office."