It was yet another draw under Mikel Arteta at The Emirates after a penalty which could have put us 2-0 up was unbelievably denied by Mike Dean and VAR.
Gabriel Martinelli had put us 1-0 up on the stroke of half time, stabbing home a deflected Saka cross, but with just eight minutes to go John Fleck equalised after yet more poor defending by Arsenal.
The first half was pretty dire affair with Sheffield United having the best of the opening exchanges. However, as it looked likely we’d be going into half time goalless, Gabriel Martinelli popped up on the 45 minutes mark to us one up, getting on the end of a deflected Saka cross. The goal was amazingly Martinelli’s ninth goal in just ten starts.
Sheffield United almost levelled ten minutes into the second half, but Granit Xhaka was equal to the effort and cleared the ball off the line to maintain our lead.
With 20 minutes to go, Pepe was fouled in the box, but the Mike Dean 500th Game Circus decided it was no penalty, even with the help of VAR, the spot kick was waved away. Another definite penalty denied, a possible second goal that would have put the game to bed.
Straight after that, Lacazette made way for Eddie Nketiah, his first piece of Arsenal action since returning from his loan spell at Leeds.
As the clock ticked on and the time ebbed away, Sheffield United levelled things up after some standard, poor Arsenal defending.
Definitely not the result we wanted or needed, but at least Mike Dean will be happy to have made the game all about him and penalty we should have had.
Next up is another tricky tie, away to Chelsea on Tuesday night, still without Aubameyang, so let’s hope Martinelli continues scoring in his abscence and we can put yet another poor performance today.
