'It was offside' – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta unhappy with Brentford equaliser

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta gestures during the Gunners' 1-1 draw with Brentford in February 2023.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta believes the Gunners were denied all three points against Brentford on Saturday because of a mistake by the officials.

Leo Trossard put Arsenal ahead after 66 minutes at the Emirates Stadium, but their lead did not last long as Ivan Toney levelled with just over a quarter of an hour left on the clock.

Brentford kept the ball alive and Toney converted from close range. The goal was awarded following a lengthy VAR check, but Arteta was unhappy.

"I've just looked at it back, and it is offside,” he said in his press conference after the match. "You cannot block if you are offside, but it's irrelevant, it's gone."

And he added: "Credit to them for the way they competed. But I thought we were dominant and had good moments. "We scored a goal against that super-low block they had. They took the game to that rollercoaster game they want to take you to.

"Winning is about small margins. When you win you win by small margins. But if you cannot win it then you don't lose it. I thought the team still had a good performance today."

Arsenal's draw means they have picked up just one point from their last two fixtures and they now lead Manchester City by only six, with the two teams still to meet twice in the coming weeks.

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Weekend editor

Ben Hayward is Weekend Editor for FourFourTwo. A European football writer with over 15 years’ experience, he has covered games all over the world - including three World Cups, several Champions League finals, Euros, Copa América - and has spent much of that time in Spain. He currently divides his time between Barcelona and London.