Featured Image Credit: Premier League
Topics: Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal, Premier League, Manchester United
Josh Lawless
Topics: Oleksandr Zinchenko, Arsenal, Premier League, Manchester United
The offside call involving Oleksandr Zinchenko for Arsenal's winner not being shown has been explained by a journalist specialising in VAR and refereeing.
Having been pegged back to 2-2 when Lisandro Martinez headed home after an error from Aaron Ramsdale, the league leaders found a decisive goal in the 90th minute through Eddie Nketiah, who struck his second.
Nketiah was quickest to react to Martin Odegaard's scuffed shot, flicking it past David de Gea to send Arsenal five points clear of Manchester City.
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But there were suspicions of offside at two separate points during the goal. Nketiah was shown to be clearly onside, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka stood behind him and playing him on when he found the net.
The second potential offside involved Zinchenko, who cut the ball back into the box after being fed by new signing Leandro Trossard out wide.
But strangely, Sky Sports' feed did not show a check on whether Zinchenko was offside - confusing plenty of viewers given it looked a relatively close call.
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On Twitter, Richard Keys wrote: “Did anyone check to see if Zinchenko was offside?”
On beIN Sports, he and long-time broadcast incident wondered if Arsenal's left-back was actually beyond the last defender.
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"With the technology, it should be checked! They obviously didn’t, because they spent most of the time checking Eddie Nketiah!”
However, it has been now explained just why there was no VAR check on Zinchenko on the feed - it was because the review had already taken place when Sky switched.
Images, including the offside lines, were shared on social media and showed that Zinchenko was onside. Martinez had played the Ukrainian on.
When the check was complete and the referee confirmed the restart, Zinchenko's celebration was one of pure passion.
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The cameras captured him patting his chest and letting out an emotional cry.
Arsenal take on second-placed City in a huge FA Cup fourth round tie at the Etihad Stadium in their next game on Friday, before they play struggling Everton on Saturday 4 February.