#ARSPAL

Today's visitors to the jelly strength Fortress Emirates was Crystal Palace FC. 

Unusually though we find them only a point and a place behind us in the league table. More often than not they are in the relegation places at this stage of the season. 

Their manager Roy "Woy" Hodgson, former England manager, has them working well.

Or so it seemed until Arsenal took a two goal lead in the 7th and 9th minutes. Goals from set pieces not from forwards but from centre backs Sokratis and Luiz. 

On 30 they were level when VAR, Video Assistant Referee, overruled the onfield referee and awarded a penalty to Palace after Zaha seemed to dive over to get it.

Onfield ref, Martin Atkinson, had already, showed Zaha the yellow card for the dive and given a free kick to Arsenal. 

The annoying thing is not VAR itself but the time it takes to make a decision. If the muppets watching on TV are quick to contact the ref, why the long delay? They will have seen something to have queried the initial decision in the first place?

Palace equalised after the ball was lost in midfield. And a cross fell to Ayew, another player that seens to have inner ear problem affecting his balance, to score.

From then on Palace time wasted. Dived at every contact and Arsenal threw everything at it. 

When Granit Xhaka was substituted midway through the second half a lot of the crowd cheered his name and then as he slowly left the pitch they booed. He apparently took off his shirt and threw it to the ground and is reported to have told fans to "f off". 

As an Arsenal fan for 55 years I have never booed my own players. Never booed the team. Even during the shit years in the 70's. 

VAR or should we call it VDR, Video Decision Referee, once again intervened and overuled a third Arsenal goal. At the time of writing some 90 minutes after the game ended we still don't know why. 

There were no complaints from Palace players to suggest an infringement in the build up to Chambers being fouled in the six yard box and the ball bouncing to Sokratis to slam dunk. No goal. No penalty either. 

Game ended 2-2.