As Arsenal gear up to take on Liverpool in a mouth-watering clash at the Emirates on Wednesday evening, the ever excellent Dave Squires calls for greater consistency in the big decisions. 

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March 14, 1987 Highbury stadium, Arsenal trail Watford 2-1 in an FA Cup quarter-final.

The ball goes high into the visitors' penalty area, Niall Quinn jumps to head the ball and is fouled by a Watford defender, the linesman on the far side puts his flag up to indicate this, at least that's what almost everyone in the ground thought.

The referee didn't see the flag and played on as did Watford forward Luther Blissett who had the freedom of Highbury since everyone else had stopped for the penalty that didn't materialise.

Blissett went on to score to put the game out of reach, and the incident would turn into  one of the biggest injustices in Arsenal history.  

This would be just the sort of incident that VAR would be invented for, albeit some thirty-odd years later, or so you would think.

Yet modern-day officiating is more of an issue now than it ever was, despite the introduction of modern technology.

There isn't a team in the Premier League or any league for that matter that doesn't have a story or two of officiating injustice that cost them a game somewhere at some time.

However, it seems that Arsenal has had more than most, quite a few more, and not just on the field. The Football Association seems to frequently use any slight Arsenal misdemeanor against them while failing to punish other teams for the same offenses.

So how and why have Arsenal become the scapegoats for Premier League officials and the F.A, and where did it all begin?

1) November 4, 1989, Highbury Stadium. Arsenal and Norwich City are involved in a seven-goal thriller but the game ended with a 21 man brawl after Arsenal's late winner.

The F.A dished out a £20,000 fine for the Gunners but a £50,000 fine for Norwich as they felt that the visitors had started the brawl, which it was obvious to see that they had.

After the punishment had been dished out there were several complaints, including interestingly, one from the police whose officers had intervened in the brawl.

They claimed that the punishments were too lenient. The FA did not have the power to deduct points for such incidents and the rule was soon changed to accommodate this.

2) Almost exactly one year later at Old Trafford Arsenal were involved in another 21 man brawl. This time Arsenal and Manchester United went at it. The result was surprisingly only two yellow cards shown, both to Arsenal players but again more punishment was to come.  

Thanks to the afore-mentioned rule change along with fines for both clubs Arsenal were docked two points while Manchester United just one.

The FA cited the previous brawl against Norwich as the reason for the harsher punishment despite previously acknowledging Arsenal had not started that incident. It seems that Arsenal Football Club rightly or wrongly was now firmly on the radar of the Football Association.

The creation of the Premier League in 1992 brought more money, more television cameras, more media coverage, and yet seemingly and un-logically more injustices.

Arsenal hadn't done much to trouble anyone in the early Premier League years but the arrival of Arsene Wenger was the turning point in both the chase for trophies and where the run ins with the F.A and its employees would go up a level.

The Wenger years would see Arsenal become victims of some of the worst refereeing performances in the modern game.

3) Step forward the 'Thing' from Tring, Graham Poll, and Old Trafford's official referee Mike Riley. Poll introduced himself to Arsenal during the season opener at Sunderland in 2000, sending off Patrick Vieria. The red card may have been correct but double standards reigned supreme as Sunderland players got away with murder.

The worst was yet to come from Poll.

4) His performance during Arsenal's 3-1 home defeat to Newcastle in December 2001, will go down as one of the worst ever.

Step forward Mr Riley who at one point seemed to be a part of the furniture at Old Trafford during the 2002/03 season, Riley awarded United seven penalties in five straight games.

5) Riley's showing at Old Trafford during the match that ended Arsenal's 49 game unbeaten run was and still is highly controversial and was so bad that it should have been investigated.

The penalty was a blatant dive, two possible red cards for United players that went unnoticed, and just a constant stream of appalling decisions all in favour of the home side.

There are plenty of examples over the years that Arsenal fans can point to (the penalty not given in the 2001 FA Cup Final will always annoy me) but wasn't the introduction of VAR supposed to eliminate basic incompetence or rule out cheating for those that believe that it exists?

Since the launch of VAR in 2019, Gooners can come up with a list as long as your arm of decisions that have gone against them that, with the benefit of a replay really shouldn't have, and it is the constant stream of such injustices that makes one scream conspiracy.

The baffling list of penalties not given against the likes of Villa, Sheffield United, Burnley, and Leeds. Red cards given to Luiz and Martinelli both at Wolves whilst opponents seemingly get away with blue murder against Arsenal with no hint of a sending off, James McArthur, Ashley Westwood, and Ben Godfrey to name but a few.Arsenal's home game on New Year's Day against Manchester City only seemed to highlight the issues which were there for all to see.

Arsenal had a legitimate penalty claim that VAR didn't even look at, City's dubious penalty was of course awarded after a VAR review.

The sending off of Gabriel but not Rodri for his constant fouling. Arsenal were charged with failing to control their players as several of them surrounded the referee, something several other teams had done this season with absolutely no repercussions, agenda anyone?

For those pushing the agenda theory would have even more ammunition after the bizarre sending-off by Michael Oliver of Martinelli against Wolves in early February.

This type of sending-off has never been seen before and possibly never again. However, one eagle-eyed Arsenal fan spotted an almost identical moment during Brighton vs Bournemouth in 2018, the result was a yellow card and the referee was, of course,  one Michael Oliver.  

So when and where will it end?Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta seems to have had enough of the injustices too.

The matches against City and Wolves have only highlighted that.

Speaking after the Wolves game Arteta said:“You ask me if I’m happy with the decisions that we have had this season, I’m not, at all,” “But that’s a conversation I’ll have with the officials, privately.“

We need explanations, we need explanations for things that happened with VAR and explanations for today.

”Asked if the conversations had already taken place, he added: “No, but they are going to happen soon.”

Despite Arteta's attempt at getting clarity and perhaps pointing out the many wrongs against his team, Arsenal fans won't be holding their breath regarding the Gunners getting a fair crack of the whip instead of being the whipping boys when it comes to decisions going against them.