Gary Lineker proposed the introduction of an appeal system within VAR to address controversial decisions, such as the penalty awarded to Brighton in their 1-1 draw with Arsenal last weekend. He believes that if such a system existed, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta would have challenged the decision.
Arsenal took the lead in the first half, but Brighton got a penalty in the second half after William Saliba inadvertently collided with Joao Pedro while trying to head the ball away. Pedro converted the penalty, which impacted Arsenal’s hopes of closing the gap on Liverpool in the title race. After the match, Arteta expressed frustration with referee Anthony Taylor’s decision, claiming it was the first time in his career that he had seen a penalty awarded in such a situation.
On The Rest is Football podcast, Lineker reiterated his belief that an appeal system could soon be implemented to avoid contentious calls. He noted, “It’s a costly one for Arsenal, as it cost them points,” and suggested that an appeal system would allow teams to challenge decisions. Lineker explained, “It should go to an appeal system where the team can ask for a review, and the referee or VAR can decide if it’s a foul or not.” He stressed that this would eliminate the confusion over borderline fouls and stated that he believes an appeal system is inevitable.
Lineker outlined how the system might work, with teams potentially having two appeals per match, losing the right to appeal if they are wrong. He emphasized that this would prevent teams from challenging every minor incident in the box. When asked by co-host Alan Shearer whether Arteta’s appeal would have led to a reversal of the decision, Lineker was confident, saying, “I think they would have overturned it. Saliba knew straight away he had touched it, and they would have appealed. If the referee reviewed it, I genuinely think Anthony Taylor would have changed his mind.”
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