Mikel Arteta 'clear' on late VAR call denying Leeds United deserved point against Arsenal

Leeds United saw a stoppage time penalty overturned by referee Chris Kavanagh during their 1-0 defeat to Arsenal at Elland Road on Sunday.

The Whites thought they had been granted a golden opportunity to equalise after Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes appeared to kick out at Patrick Bamford inside the Arsenal box during stoppage time at the end of the second half.

After initially awarding a penalty and sending Gabriel for an early bath, Kavanagh was directed to the pitch-side VAR monitor where he overturned his original decision and rescinded the Brazilian’s red card.

Following the game, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta shared with reporters his glee at his side’s ‘resilience’ whilst commending the approach Leeds employed which put the Gunners on the back foot for the entire second half.

On the overturned penalty call which could have handed Leeds a stoppage time lifeline, Arteta stated he was ‘clear’.

"I think the decision is clear,” the Spaniard began. “I haven't looked at it back, but when everybody's telling me the same thing I think there’s no complaints.”

“It's always really hectic here. I think it's not a coincidence winning like this, what the team shows: the character, it shows the personality, shows the desire to play.

"We expected periods where it became really chaotic, the game, and we had to handle that situation,” Arteta said. “We left the game open and from the beginning, from the first whistle of the second half, we started not at the rhythm and not making the right decisions time after time, and we put ourselves in big trouble. But even when you get in those moments, I love the resilience the fight the character, and the courage that the team showed to win the game.”