Mikel Arteta has exempted the VAR who revoked a Smith Roe red email card as a young star in Newcastle win

Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta expressed his gratitude for the use of VAR in their 2–0 FA Cup win over Newcastle, and hailed the growing importance of Emile Smith Row.

The 20-year-old proved the lead and scored the first goal in the 109th minute after the extra-time tie ended.

It would have been a different ending for Academy graduate Smith Roe had it not been requested by video assistant referee Chris Kavanagh to review the decision in injury time.

The youngster went on to win the match against Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup in overtime

Smith Rowe was awarded a red card for a challenge to Newcastle’s Shawn Longstaff, but after using the stadium screen, the rating was downgraded to yellow and the youngster took advantage of his deferral to help Arsenal reach the fourth round.

Only nine of the 32 matches this weekend will go through video-assisted technology – the one played on Premier League stadiums.

Arteta said: “ I was crazy because when I saw the event on TV, I didn’t think it could be kicked out, but thank God, the organizers decided to use VAR technology and today it worked the way it should, so I’m very happy to get that.

We believe in Emile, he does really well. He grows and becomes more important in the team.

Referee initially gave Chris Kavanagh a red card to challenge but changed his decision

“Today showed that again the way he presented, the character he played and we asked him to be more in the penalty area, more threatening in front of goal and he scored a really important goal for us.”

Smith Row was the first person Arteta turned to on the bench after an hour of playing at Emirates Stadium, where the chances were high.

His lead, along with entering Bukayo Saka and Granit Schaka later in the game, helped Arsenal start their title defense with a 2–0 win.

Captain Pierre Emerick Aubameyang was a marginal figure before Arteta was called up to the cavalry, but scored his sixth goal of the season with a shot in the 117th minute from the center back of Kieran Tierney.

Mikel Arteta was happy that technology was at work for this game-changing decision

That was another positive for the hosts, but they took a knock before kick-off when Gabriel Martinelli, who had recently returned from a serious knee injury, had an ankle problem in the warm-up and had to be absent after being called the eleventh start.

Arteta admitted: ‘I am devastated. I was in my office before the match and one of the coaches came and said Gabe had injured himself and sprained his ankle.

I went to the medicine room and he was crying and in pain. We have to see how it is. He wasn’t looking good, he was in agony so I imagine we won’t be getting good news with him.

Martinelli will be subject to a test but is expected to miss Thursday’s match at home with Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Arteta waits to hear about Gabriel Martinelli’s injury after falling into the warm-up

“His character is the one he wants to play in the next match, and he doesn’t care and can handle the pain,” Arteta said.

“I hope there is nothing too dangerous, but the start wasn’t good.”

Steve Bruce couldn’t hide his disappointment at a missed opportunity for Newcastle, as Andy Carroll squandered two excellent chances.

Jordi scored his first goal for the club in 10 years during last weekend’s defeat at home to Leicester and could have added to his tally first in the 56th minute, when he hit Geoff Hendrick’s cross with his feet, leaving a better chance to slip through. In stoppage time when he failed to beat Bernd Leno from close range.

Newcastle coach Steve Bruce exhausted his team’s missed opportunities in the close defeat

Bruce said: “ When you come here, especially for a cup tie, and when you are offered the chances that we have had, we hope you can take advantage of them.

I couldn’t be happier with the way they started their work, but we just needed to take advantage of the big opportunity when it came.

“Nobody is more disappointed than Andy for not taking one, but his overall gameplay and the way he led the streak was fantastic. It would have crowned a great week for him.