Bukayo Saka hits out at Arsenal’s officiating after Newcastle win

Bukayo Saka questioned VAR decisions following Arsenal’s dramatic comeback victory over Newcastle at St. James’ Park.

Bukayo Saka has voiced his frustration with officiating standards after Arsenal secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Sunday. The England international was particularly critical of the lengthy VAR review that overturned Arsenal’s first-half penalty decision.

Arsenal had a penalty awarded when Viktor Gyokeres was brought down by Newcastle goalkeeper Nick Pope, but referee Jarred Gillett overturned the decision after a four-minute VAR review. The delay and subsequent reversal clearly frustrated Saka, who didn’t hold back in his post-match assessment.

“For me, if we have VAR, it’s for clear and obvious errors, and the fact it took the referee that long to decide shows that it is not clear and obvious,” Saka stated. “These little things always go against us, but today we got what we deserved for sure!”

The 24-year-old was equally bemused by the penalty decision itself. When asked about Gyokeres’ overturned spot-kick, Saka responded: “I was speechless man! But it doesn’t matter now, does it?”

Despite the controversial officiating decisions, Arsenal showed remarkable character to come from behind and secure all three points. Nick Woltemade had given Newcastle the lead in the first-half, but substitute Mikel Merino equalised in the 83rd minute before Gabriel headed home a dramatic 96th-minute winner.

The victory closed the gap to league leaders Liverpool to just two points, maintaining Arsenal’s position as title contenders. This was Arsenal’s first away win against Newcastle since 2023, ending a frustrating run of three negative results on Tyneside.

Saka’s comments reflect a growing sense among Arsenal supporters that controversial decisions have gone against them in recent seasons. Speaking after the match, the Arsenal captain said: “We’ve come here in the past and results have gone against us, or decisions and stuff like that. It was starting to feel like that again today”.

Arsenal will now turn their attention to the Champions League, where they host Olympiacos at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. The match represents another opportunity for Arteta’s side to build momentum across all competitions as they pursue silverware on multiple fronts.