Melbourne Victory entered their clash with Macarthur FC desperately seeking a breakthrough after three consecutive losses, but instead found themselves trapped in an all-too-familiar narrative. A disallowed goal, a fourth straight match without scoring, and the simmering frustration of under-pressure coach Arthur Diles defined a draining night in sweltering conditions at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.
Victory’s goalless run has become an ongoing storyline, and Friday night only deepened concerns as they were forced to settle for yet another 0-0 draw. The match produced effort, moments of tempo shifts, and late desperation, but ultimately no change to the scoreboard. For Diles, however, the moment that overshadowed everything came in first-half stoppage time: a goal from Brazilian winger Santos that was swiftly rubbed out by VAR.
The sequence seemed, at first glance, to be exactly what Victory had been craving. As halftime approached, Santos pounced on possession and clinically finished a chance that momentarily appeared to lift the visitors from their scoring drought. Yet celebrations were cut short when VAR intervened, ruling that veteran Spanish international Juan Mata had fouled Callum Talbot in the buildup.
The decision not only denied Victory their first league goal in more than 360 minutes of football but also ignited visible anger on the touchline. Diles made no attempt to hide his disbelief post-match, particularly at the notion that the on-field referee had allowed play to continue initially before VAR overturned the call.
“It doesn't sit well, that's for sure,” Diles said as he tried to process another frustrating night. “There's a goal disallowed, and I haven't seen the replay. I look forward to seeing that because at the time, the ref was probably three metres away and let it go. If he didn't see it live and he's really close, it's pretty obvious for me.”
The frustration is understandable. Victory’s attack has been sputtering for weeks, and a rare moment of quality — one they hoped would shift their momentum — was erased before it could reshape the match. Even with four minutes of added time to find something before the break, Victory lacked the sharpness required to punish Macarthur’s weary back line.
While Diles’ side finally halted their losing streak, the draw did little to alleviate pressure around the club. Victory remain anchored to the bottom of the A-League Men ladder, sitting 12th with a 1-2-4 record and a worrying lack of attacking output. A single point on the road was not insignificant, but it was nowhere near enough to silence the growing scrutiny.
“That comes with playing for Melbourne Victory,” Diles conceded when asked about the pressure that has intensified all week following the team’s 1-0 loss to Brisbane. The scrutiny surrounding one of the league’s biggest clubs is never small, and with performances stalling, every result becomes magnified.
On the other side, Macarthur FC entered the match juggling fatigue from their intercontinental duties and managing a roster stretched thin. The Bulls had already secured qualification to the ACL2 round-of-16 with a match to spare, but the toll of dual competitions was clear from the opening whistle. Their biggest early concern arrived only minutes into the game when captain Luke Brattan pulled up hobbling after a hamstring issue during a routine pass. Despite electing to stay on the field initially, Brattan’s mobility was compromised before he was replaced by Dongwon Ji after halftime.
Bulls coach Mile Sterjovski admitted that precaution was the driving force behind the decision. “We took him off as a precaution,” he said, noting that illness had also swept through the squad in recent days. “There's quite a few things that have gone through the team (like gastro and the flu) but we're at the other end now. It's just about crossing your fingers now and hoping that nobody else gets sick while we travel.”
The match itself was played under punishing 33-degree heat, adding another layer of difficulty for two sides already operating under physical strain. The first half was a grinding duel defined more by midfield collisions and tactical positioning than by attacking flair. Neither team produced a meaningful shot on target in the opening 45 minutes, with both struggling to ignite their forward structures.
Victory showed brief sparks of intent in first-half stoppage time, with Santos again going close moments after his disallowed strike. His driven effort, however, drifted wide. Louis D’Arrigo then attempted an audacious lob that beat the keeper but not the upright, as the post denied what might have been the match’s decisive moment. Mata swooped in on the rebound in a frantic scramble, only for Macarthur goalkeeper Filip Kurto to smother the danger.
The second half followed a similar pattern, though both sides managed to generate slightly clearer looks at goal. Macarthur’s Harry Sawyer injected energy off the bench in the 56th minute and came closest with a dangerous header six minutes later that fell just short. Victory countered with their own game-changing substitution, introducing returning Socceroos winger Nishan Velupillay at the same time. His pace and creativity sparked some overdue momentum, culminating in Victory’s only shot on target — a low drive in the 86th minute that Kurto saved comfortably.
With both sides throwing everything into late efforts but failing to finish their chances, the match ended with a staggering statistic: 31 combined shots and only two on target. It summed up the night — lots of endeavour, not enough execution.
In the end, a single VAR decision became the focal point of Melbourne Victory's frustrations. While a draw on the road is not disastrous, the club’s inability to score and their deepening place at the foot of the table leave little room for patience. As pressure continues to mount, the coming fixtures could define the team's season — and perhaps Arthur Diles' future at the helm.
