Mikel Arteta, the manager of Arsenal, accused officials of “changing the rules” after claiming Brentford’s equalizer in the 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium should have been ruled out for offside.
The Gunners took the lead in the second half thanks to Leandro Trossard’s first goal for the club.
But Ivan Toney leveled the score when he nodded in Christian Norgaard’s close-range cross.
“I just looked back and it’s offside,” Arteta confirmed.
The video assistant referee delayed Toney’s celebrations for a lengthy check (VAR).
Norgaard appeared to be offside in the buildup to the 74th-minute goal, and there was speculation that Ethan Pinnock had previously blocked Gabriel Magalhaes while in an offside position.
The decision to award the equalizer, however, stood, leaving Arteta frustrated.
“The action when you get blocked when you are offside – you cannot block if you are offside,” Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger explained.
“In order to defend, you must follow certain principles and adhere to the rules. You suddenly change the rules, which forces you to change your principles.
“So tell us ahead of time so you don’t hide the line that high, because if you get blocked, you’ll always have an advantage.”
Brentford manager Thomas Frank commented on the contentious strike: “I agree that Ethan (Pinnock) was in an offside position when they kicked the ball.
“Then, according to football rules, the next question is whether he influenced the cross. They decided it was insufficient, and I agree.”
Arsenal are now six points clear of Manchester City, who play Aston Villa on Sunday before visiting Arsenal on Wednesday.