Premier League referee Lee Mason misses out on VAR selection following Arsenal offside controversy
- Planet Sport writer
- 14 February 2023
Lee Mason has not been selected as a VAR for the next round of Premier League matches following his offside error last weekend.
Mason failed to spot an offside in the build-up to Brentford's equalising goal away to Arsenal last Saturday.
Arsenal had to settle for a share of the spoils after Ivan Toney's header cancelled out a first Gunners goal for Leandro Trossard as Brentford left the Emirates Stadium with a 1-1 draw.
Arteta felt a lengthy VAR check for Toney's goal should have resulted in the effort being ruled out for offside against Ethan Pinnock.
After the match, the Spaniard said: "I just looked back and it is offside, yes.
"The action when you get blocked when you are offside. You cannot block if you are offside."
He later added: "They will probably give an explanation later in the week. Today we haven't got one. You have to apply certain principles in defending and you do that by sticking to the rules, suddenly you change the rules and then you have to change your principles.
"So tell us before so then you don't hide the line that high, because you're always going to have an advantage if you get blocked."
Mason's name was absent from the appointments list published on the Premier League website at noon.
John Brooks, who was replaced as VAR for Monday night's Merseyside derby and the Arsenal v Manchester City match on Wednesday after he wrongly disallowed a goal for Brighton against Crystal Palace, returns as a fourth official for the Aston Villa v Arsenal game on Saturday.
