Referee Mikel Arteta claims 'destroyed' North London Derby named VAR for Arsenal vs Everton

The Premier League have announced that Paul Tierney will be the video assistant referee for Arsenal's match against Everton.

The Professional Game Match Officials Board ( PGMOL ) have appointed Craig Pawson as the referee, alongside assistant referees Eddie Smart and Con Hatzidakis, fourth official Andrew Kitchen and assistant video assistant referee Dan Cook. It is the 16th time Tierney will be the VAR for a game involving the Gunners, a joint-high with Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the fourth instance this season alone.

Tierney last officiated as the VAR in Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, correctly disallowing a Kai Havertz goal for offside. He also worked on the 4-2 win over Leicester City and when the Gunners beat Wolves on the season's opening weekend 2-0.

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Arsenal have lost just three times when Tierney was in the VAR. However, one of those was on the only occasion he was assisting Pawson for a game involving the Gunners, their 1-0 home defeat to Leicester in October 2020.

They have a much worse record when Tierney referees their matches, which he has yet to do this season. That includes a run of five consecutive defeats in a row across all competitions for Arsenal between August 2021 and January 2023.

The third of those games was a 3-0 defeat in the North London Derby. After which, Mikel Arteta remarked in response to Tierney's performance: "Ask the referee to come here and explain his decisions. That's his decision; such a beautiful game was destroyed here."

He adjudged Cedric Soares fouled Son Heung-min and awarded Tottenham Hotspur a penalty they took the lead through in the 22nd minute. Then, within barely ten minutes, yellow carded Rob Holding twice and reduced Arsenal to ten men.

In the next game involving the Gunners that Tierney officiated, he disallowed a Gabriel Martinelli goal against Manchester United after being told to by Lee Mason, his VAR, for a foul by Martin Odegaard on Christian Eriksen. Arteta lamented a "lack of consistency" and acknowledged it was "really difficult to accept" afterwards before an independent panel found it was incorrect for the VAR to intervene.