Arsenal has finally put an end to the accusations of bottling after winning their first Premier League trophy in 22 years.
The team has had a wonderful season, but the Gunners—dubbed “VARsenal” by some—have been accused of riding their luck in several crucial situations. According to Jeff Powell of Daily Mail Sport, their title should be accompanied by an asterisk.
Last season, the North London team received a league-high six red cards and gave up three penalties due to their infamously irrational behavior.
However, it appears that the football gods are on their side this season. They will finish the league season with a spotless record if they defeat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday.
In addition to winning the Premier League, Arsenal has transformed into VAR angels.
That’s not to say they haven’t occasionally avoided severe punishment. Kai Havertz caught midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu with a wonderful tackle during Monday’s victory over Burnley, making contact with his opponent high and with his studs.
Referee Paul Tierney immediately gave the German a yellow, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) oddly chose not to start a challenge review.
Fans, commentators, and interim manager Mike Jackson were all outraged by the incident, and many were left perplexed as to why Havertz wasn’t given an early bath.
It wasn’t the first time Arsenal appeared to be on the winning side of a refereeing call, and one has to wonder how the standings would appear if the team hadn’t gotten away with it.
Sportsmail examines the five most contentious calls from Arsenal’s season, including headbutts and fierce wrestling bouts.
1) FOULS GALORE between Arsenal and Chelsea?
After Arsenal narrowly defeated a 10-man Chelsea 2-1 in March, many were quick to criticize referee Darren England’s performance on social media.
There was the apparent handball on a corner kick by Declan Rice, who appeared to be choking Jorrel Hato, even though the next set-piece resulted in a goal.
Then, when he extended to punch a ball away, David Raya appeared to make contact with Joao Pedro.
When David Raya bumped into Joao Pedro, they were lucky to avoid penalty.
Although Pedro Neto’s two yellow cards were more obvious than the Arsenal goalkeeper’s move, VAR reversed a no-penalty ruling when West Ham’s Alphonse Areola committed a similar act against Nottingham Forest earlier in the season.
Midfielder Tomas Soucek remarked, “For me, it is a joke,” following the Hammers’ game. I just watched it again, and if it’s like that, I believe we can have 20 penalties per game. I joined the Premier League because I believed it to be the hardest league in the world, and we are all warriors and fighters, but when you can’t touch the players, it looks more like basketball.
2) SALIBA’S KARATE KICK in Everton vs. Arsenal
Viktor Gyokeres’ penalty gave the Gunners a 1-0 victory, but the Toffees contended that they should have had their own spot shot.
When William Saliba kicked Everton forward Thierno Barry’s foot while trying to clear the ball, the Hill Dickinson Stadium exploded. However, the VAR decided not to notify on-field referee Sam Barrott because they believed there was insufficient contact to call a spot kick.
Later, the Key Match Incident (KMI) panel acknowledged that this was an error. According to their verdict, VAR ought to have stepped in and labeled the incident as “a late challenge where Saliba carelessly kicks Barry with no contact on the ball.” A fortunate escape.
William Saliba should have given up a penalty against Everton, according to PGMOL.
3) Arsenal vs. Manchester City: HEADS UP
Erling Haaland’s goal in the ninetieth minute gave City the victory, although an earlier offensive could have hurt Arsenal’s chances of winning the championship.
Throughout the entire game, Haaland and Gabriel Magalhães engaged in a physical altercation that resulted in a face-to-face confrontation.
Players from both teams engaged in a brief shoving match when Gabriel leaned his head forward to push the Norwegian.
Though opinions on whether Gabriel’s conduct warranted a sending off were divided, both stars earned a yellow card.
In the end, the KMI determined that referee Anthony Taylor had erred, but the requirements for VAR to intervene had not been fulfilled.
After headbutting Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Gabriel managed to avoid receiving a red card.
4) Brighton was defeated by Arsenal.
Against the Seagulls in March, there was another missed penalty call that could have cost the Gunners two more points.
Mats Weiffer entered behind Gabriel Martinelli when the score was 1-0, but he was later brought down inside the area.
VAR did not step in despite a strong outcry from the field and beyond.
“Martinelli is not looking at the ball, holds Wieffer into the area and prevents the Brighton player from challenging for the ball,” was the KMI’s retrospective ruling once more.
The angry supporters inside American Express Stadium are validated by the panel’s ruling. The Gunners had yet another fortunate escape that might have spared them two points.
5) The Rumble in the Box: West Ham vs. Arsenal
The most contentious of these choices was made in a late-season game that could have determined the Premier League season’s outcome.
The Gunners sat in to protect their three points after Leandro Trossard’s late goal, but Callum Wilson burst through after grabbing onto a loose ball during a fiercely contested corner kick. However, a chaotic VAR review that lasted four minutes and eleven seconds resulted in the goal being disallowed because officials determined that Pablo had fouled David Raya during the corner kick.
VAR controversially disallowed Callum Wilson’s late equalizer.
Many have shouted up what appear to be multiple fouls being committed simultaneously by players like Trossard and Declan Rice in what will undoubtedly be considered as seismic to the future of both clubs at opposite ends of the table.
Unfortunately, Pablo’s foul on Raya was the first.
Despite KMI and PGMO chief Howard Webb’s insistence that this verdict was right, some have called it one of the most contentious VAR rulings in history.
