Why Arsenal should have had a penalty against Hull City

Arsenal were involved in another VAR controversy over the weekend after Kai Havertz had his shirt pulled inside the penalty area, but the Gunners were not awarded a spot kick because the German was deemed to be in an offside position.

The incident has not attracted as much attention because Arsenal went on to win the match. However, had the result been different, the decision could have become a major talking point, particularly given the circumstances surrounding the penalty appeal.

The Gunners will always want decisions to be made fairly as they look to maintain their impressive form and continue winning matches. However, controversial refereeing calls can sometimes affect their chances of securing positive results, and the latest incident has raised further questions about the use of VAR.

The controversy comes just a week after Liverpool were denied a penalty when Jurrien Timber pulled Alexander Isak’s shirt. The latest incident involving Havertz has provided Mikel Arteta with another example to highlight when discussing similar decisions involving Arsenal.

Following a VAR review, the referee explained that although Nobel Mendy had pulled Havertz’s shirt, the Arsenal forward was in an offside position. That explanation baffled supporters, particularly because the contact appeared to prevent the German from reaching the ball.

Former Premier League referee Graham Barber has also questioned the decision, arguing that the officials failed to apply the relevant law correctly. His assessment suggests that Arsenal should have been awarded a penalty despite Havertz’s offside position.

Speaking about the incident via Give Me Sports, Barber referred to the wording of the offside law and explained why he believes both the referee and VAR made an incorrect decision.

“The law reads, ‘if a player in an offside position is moving towards the ball with the intention of playing the ball, and is fouled before playing or attempting to play the ball, or challenging an opponent for the ball, the foul is penalised as it has occurred before the offside offence’.

“So, let’s look at that incident. The incident is really quite clear, it’s a clear foul, it’s a clear pulling of the shirt, he was clearly attempting to go and play the ball, and the sad thing is, they got this wrong.

“Both VAR and the referee got this wrong, and the point about this is they got this wrong in law.”

Barber’s comments have added further weight to the debate surrounding the decision. Although Arsenal secured victory, the incident could renew discussions about how officials interpret the rules when an offside player is fouled before committing an offside offence.