“It will cost us dearly” - Arsenal goalkeeper criticized referees

In yesterday's highly anticipated fixture of the eleventh round of the Premier League, Newcastle played host to Arsenal at St. James' Park. The sole goal of the match was netted by Anthony Gordon in the 64th minute.

However, this goal proved to be incredibly contentious, as the ball came perilously close to breaching the touchline, with only a few millimeters of the ball's circumference remaining within the field of play before it was intercepted by Villalobos, who then executed a pass.

Subsequent to the ball's placement into the net, the refereeing team undertook a meticulous review, assessing three key aspects: the ball's potential exit from the field, the possibility of a foul committed by Joelinton against Gabriel, and Gordon's proximity to an offside position. Despite this scrutiny, the goal was ultimately upheld.

Arsenal's custodian, David Raya, voiced his perspective regarding the goal's legitimacy in an interview with the Daily Mail.

"I observed the ball exiting the field of play, and subsequently, following the pass, I glanced towards the goal and discerned a foul against Gabi [Gabriel]. He was pushed with both hands in the back as he was about to clear the ball.

On the other hand, it might have been an offside position, which is inherently challenging to ascertain when the ball is beyond the field's boundaries. Nevertheless, the foul is a pivotal decision, its absence will come at a significant cost to us. We are deeply disheartened.

The manner in which we conducted ourselves, the fervor with which we contested, was nothing short of splendid. We executed the manager's directives, winning duels and reinitiating ball movement, among other things. Yet, the refereeing decisions ultimately resulted in the goal against us."

David Raya has been under scrutiny since his summer transition from Brentford to Arsenal, where he arrived on loan. The Spaniard supplanted Aaron Ramsdale as the team's starting goalkeeper but has encountered challenges in acclimating to the squad, and has also faced reproach for conceding several goals.