SMITH ROWE TAKES RED-CARD LET-OFF ADVANTAGE OF HIS TO SPARK VICTORY
EMILE Smith Rowe escaped a red card thanks to VAR – then set Arsenal on the way to an extra-time victory. The 20-year-old
Gunners star was sent off for a shin-high tackle on Sean
Longstaff in injury time.
But referee Chris Kavanagh then downgraded it to a yellow after watching it on a pitchside monitor after VAR intervened.
That allowed the energetic kid to exploit a rare mistake in the resilient Newcastle defence in extra time, when Ciaran Clark got tangled in possession.
Smith Rowe conjured an instinctive finish, rifling home from an angle in the 109th minute after Isaac Hayden headed Bukayo
Saka’s clipped pass into his path.
Smith Rowe has now scored five for the club and his call-up has coincided with Arsenal’s upturn in form.
He said: “I’m really happy. That’s a big relief. The red-card incident before that was not ideal but it not intentional at all.
“We knew it would be about eventually breaking them down.
It is great. From a young kid
I have always wanted to play for this club.
“We have shown how together we are. We are starting to show it on the pitch and we want to keep winning.”
Boss Mikel Arteta admitted it was the first time he’d seen a player sent off then go on to score.
Arteta said: “It is my first time for that. I didn’t think he should be sent off. The regulations gave us VAR and today it worked the way it should. I am happy about that.
“It means we believe in Smith Rowe. He is doing well, growing and becoming important in the team.
The personality he plays with, we ask him to be more of a threat in the box and he scored an important goal for us.
“In difficult moments for young players to step in like this is not easy.
They need experience around them. We have a great mixture.”
It was a close shave for the FA Cup holders.
They were pushed to the limit by Steve Bruce’s side who blew two brilliant chances to take the lead, including one sitter falling to Andy Carroll.
Pierre-emerick Aubameyang sealed Arsenal’s fourth win in a row in the 118th minute with a tap-in after Kieran Tierney unpicked the Toon down the left.
Bruce’s side fought well, but are now winless in seven games, losing five. A Premier League recovery is needed against Sheffield United on Tuesday.
The Geordies have been knocked out in 11 of their last 12 FA Cup games against top-flight opposition. There is no cup fun in being a Newcastle fan.
Bruce’s men have managed only one goal in eight hours of football, and they need to concentrate on avoiding relegation.
The manager said: “When you come here you have to take your chances.
“There won’t be lots of them and we had the chance in the last few minutes and didn’t grasp it.it could have gone either way and we rue the missed chances.
“Andy Carroll did fantastically well. There were pleasing things. We
have had a tough run of games and we have to dust ourselves down and go again.
“It has been a difficult period. We are trying to get higher up the pitch to create more chances.”
The Arsenal revival continues.
But there was little entertainment on show as Newcastle banked up in defence and their hosts reverted to their early season form, a bit pedestrian and lacking energy.
It was a very poor game but, remarkably, Newcastle should have won it before extra time.
Carroll missed one chance in the second half and another in injury time, after debutant sub Elliot Anderson smashed a shot goalward, saved by Bernd Leno.
All the drama came in injury time, including Smith Rowe’s red card reprieve, eventually, the correct decision. Granit Xhaka’s extra-time volley forced Martin Dubravka to tip over the top.
Carroll was the visitors’ best player, putting in a huge shift at both ends.
His low point came when he squandered the best chance of the game after 56 minutes.
Jeff Hendrick slashed the ball into the box and Carroll side-footed wide. Wrongly flagged offside, the goal would have stood.
REPRIEVE: Smith Rowe’s
red card changes to yellow after VAR review