The title race is well underway with the Premier League table taking shape and Arsenal with 13 games played have work to do. They might have overtaken Manchester City but it is not their most-recent title rival proving the problem but instead Liverpool under Arne Slot find themselves nine points clear.
Arsenal, as Mikel Arteta emphasises, can only focus on themselves and winning the next game, with other factors out of their control. Next up is Manchester United who are under new management with Ruben Amorim, but Gunners supporters have noticed something already which has raised the temperatures a little.
On the video assistant refereeing panel will be Jarred Gillett who will officiate what will be his fifth Arsenal match of the season despite this being the 14th match of the campaign. Officiating more than a third of the Gunners league matches appears quite a large number.
For instance, the top two regarded officials in the country, Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver, have officiated in some capacity just four times between them – never as VAR or fourth official. The issue Arsenal fans have is that there has been some suggestion Gillett has an alleged affection for title rivals Liverpool.
The supposed connection was sparked when Fox Sports commentator Brenton Speed revealed that Gillett is supposedly a Liverpool supporter.
"He told me about this a couple of months ago, said keep it under your hat because I’m not sure whether I’ll get the appointment," Speed said on the Fox Football Podcast. "That’ll be the last game he ever officiates at Anfield because he had to fill out a document when he agreed to join the referees' board over there
“And you have to fill in the team you supported as a boy/man and he said it was Liverpool. So that means you're taken off all their games, home or away."
There were frustrations when Gillett advised a VAR review of William Saliba’s challenge on Evanilson at Bournemouth that saw him sent off and suspended for the clash with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium, which ended in a 2-2 draw. A decision which saw similar incidents with Chelsea and Tottenham in the following days not get the same outcome.
Complaints are now pouring in from Arsenal supporters on social media. Time will tell whether the official will have an impact on the game or whether the Gunners can stay out of the officiating limelight in midweek.
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