'The refereeing was perfect' – Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praises VAR after Burnley win

Mikel Arteta applauds after Arsenal's 3-1 win over Burnley in November 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had no complaints about VAR this weekend after watching the Gunners beat Burnley 3-1 at the Emirates on Saturday.

Following his side's 1-0 loss against Newcastle United at St. James' Park last Saturday, which featured a controversial winner scored by Anthony Gordon, Arteta said that he "felt sick" and could not understand how the goal was allowed to stand.

The north Londoners were more comfortable this time as goals from Leandro Trossard, William Saliba and Oleksandr Zinchenko sent Arsenal above rivals Tottenham and into second place.

Arsenal did have midfielder Fabio Vieira sent off for a studs-up challenge late in the game on Josh Brownhill, but Arteta saw nothing wrong with that call as he spoke after the game.

"The refereeing was perfect," he told BBC Sport. "Don't just ask me when [things go against us]. VAR was top."

Following their win over Burnley, Arsenal sit in second place after 12 matches, level on points with champions Manchester City.

City are in action against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and a win for Pep Guardiola's side will see them head into the international break with a three-point lead at the top.

Next up for the Gunners in the Premier League is a trip to Brentford after the international break, before home games against Wolves and Luton in early December.

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Ben Hayward
Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is a European football writer and Tottenham Hotspur fan with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa America - and has spent much of that time in Spain. Ben speaks English and Spanish, currently dividing his time between Barcelona and London, covering all the big talking points of the weekend on FFT: he’s also written several list features and interviewed Guglielmo Vicario for the magazine.