{"id":1105012,"date":"2019-09-05T15:47:47","date_gmt":"2019-09-05T14:47:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1105012"},"modified":"2019-09-05T15:47:47","modified_gmt":"2019-09-05T14:47:47","slug":"arsene-wenger-var-changed-history-arsenal","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/news\/arsene-wenger-var-changed-history-arsenal\/","title":{"rendered":"Arsene Wenger: VAR would have “changed the history of Arsenal”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arsene Wenger believes VAR would have intervened and disallowed Samuel Eto’o’s equaliser in Arsenal’s Champions League defeat to Barcelona in 2006.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

With just 15 minutes left on the clock, Arsenal were mere whiskers away from lifting a European crown having led Barca 1-0 courtesy of a Sol Campbell goal.<\/p>\n

Was Eto’o’s goal offside? Five things to know…<\/strong><\/h2>\n
    \n
  • In 2006, Arsenal reached the Champions League final and faced Barcelona in Paris.<\/li>\n
  • Within 18 minutes\u00a0Jens Lehmann had been sent off for Arsenal after bringing down Eto’o.<\/li>\n
  • Despite being down to 10 men, Arsenal took the lead via a\u00a0Sol Campbell header.<\/li>\n
  • However, Barca struck back in the 76th minute thanks to\u00a0Eto’o’s near-post finish.<\/li>\n
  • Eto’o was placed through by\u00a0Larsson but was accelerating at such a speed that it is near-on impossible to determine whether the goal should have stood without the involvement of VAR.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/7354781-emery-must-resist-his-crystal-palace-tribute-act-to-punish-unsettled-spurs<\/p>\n

    However, as the game approached the dying embers at the Stade de France, an exceptional lay-off from\u00a0Henrik Larsson played\u00a0Eto’o through on goal and the ex-Cameroon forward proceeded to slot home past substitute Manuel Almunia.<\/p>\n

    With the bit between their teeth and momentum in their favour, Frank Rijkaard’s side ultimately went on to win the match through\u00a0Juliano Belletti just four minutes later, but Wenger still harbours doubts about the\u00a0Blaugrana’s first goal, believing VAR would have chalked it off had the technology been in play 13 years ago.<\/p>\n

    When asked which game he would have liked VAR to be utilised in, Wenger had no doubts, telling\u00a0beinSPORTS: “It is the final of the [2006] Champions League, because I think Eto’o’s equaliser was offside.<\/p>\n

    “That would have changed the history of Arsenal Football Club.”<\/p>\n