Where Every Decision Goes Their Way
The internet's most comprehensive, lovingly curated archive of Arsenal FC's
controversial VAR decisions, creative diving, and referee-assisted victories.
THE CURRENT SEASON • MATCHDAY 03 FILED
The only part of the file that matters right now. New incidents, rulings and excuses appear here first. The rest is evidence.
Emirates Stadium, 6 September. Gabriel made face contact with Emi Martínez and avoided a card after VAR review; Rice tripped Rogers on a counter and Rogers was booked. Two disputed calls. No officially admitted VAR error.
Matchday incidents start in the 26/27 Tracker. Material with enough evidence, source context and replay value is promoted into the permanent archive — not buried in a feed.
Three games filed. Nine points on the board. The PGMOL are now properly on the clock. We track every development.
Arsenal recovered from Morgan Rogers’ second-minute opener to win 2–1, with Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard scoring. They are perfect after three league games. But the result also left two separate calls in the evidence locker: Gabriel Magalhães’ boot made contact with Emiliano Martínez’s face and produced no card after a VAR check; later, Declan Rice tripped Rogers from behind during a Chelsea counter and Rogers — not Rice — was booked. Neither event is an officially admitted VAR error. Both are fair questions.
In a six-yard-box scramble after an Arsenal free-kick, Gabriel was on the ground and trying to reach the ball when his boot connected with Martínez’s face. The goalkeeper required treatment. Chris Kavanagh did not show a card, and VAR backed the on-field decision.
The Premier League’s reported rationale was that the action did not meet the serious-foul-play threshold. That is the official decision. The BBC’s Match of the Day clip framed the other side of the argument: “I think he’s got away with one.” VARsenal’s position is not that a red card was formally proven; it is that a red-card debate was closed without a monitor and still looks uncomfortable in slow motion.
Chelsea were breaking forward with Arsenal leading 2–1. Replays showed Rice tripping Rogers from behind as he tried to get into support. The Athletic described it as a “clear and cynical yellow-card offence”. No free-kick or booking followed for Rice.
Rogers reacted angrily and was booked. This was not a VAR matter — yellow-card offences outside the penalty area are not a route to a VAR review — but it belongs in the match report because a professional foul was alleged by several live reporters and the visible punishment landed on the player fouled.
The same match brought an early VAR intervention against Arsenal: Riccardo Calafiori’s apparent equaliser was ruled out because Ezri Konsa was offside and involved in the move. The goal should not have stood. It is recorded here because the only credible evidence trail is one that keeps the calls that hurt Arsenal as well as the calls that raise eyebrows.
TERRY THE YIDO: “The goalkeeper took a boot in the face. The counter got stopped by a trip. The player who got tripped got booked. Somewhere, a filing cabinet has opened itself.”
GUNNERSAURUS GARY: “Gabriel was attempting to play the ball. Rice was attempting to defend. Rogers was attempting to start a fight. Arsenal were attempting to win, which we did.”
KAREN FROM ISLINGTON: “If the boot is ball-directed, the leg is an incidental vector. If the trip interrupts an unsustainable counter state, the referee is managing game equilibrium. I’ve read the clips.”
CHELSEA DAVE: “We lost because Havertz and Ødegaard were better. But don’t ask me to pretend I enjoyed watching our keeper get kicked in the face while the referee admired the football.”
Sources: talkSPORT, Premier League explanation of the Gabriel review; BBC Sport / Match of the Day red-card debate; The Athletic live report; Chelsea FC match report; Guardian live report. VARsenal is satirical football commentary. Official match facts are separated from rival-fan opinion.
Arsenal went to Villa Park, had a penalty awarded, watched VAR take it away, and won anyway. The 54th-minute review was correct: Ian Maatsen’s foul on Bukayo Saka happened outside the area, so Jarred Gillett changed the spot-kick to a free-kick. Five minutes later, Saka scored the winner from Riccardo Calafiori’s low cross. A clean process. An open-play goal. A deeply irritating evening for anyone holding an asterisk.
Referee Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot after Saka was pushed by Maatsen. VAR reviewed the location of the foul and established that it occurred outside the penalty area. Gillett reviewed the footage, overturned the penalty and awarded a direct free-kick. That is not a decision in Arsenal’s favour, an admitted error, or a conspiracy. It is a correct review. The receipt has been filed in blue.
Eberechi Eze released Calafiori down the left. Calafiori drove a low ball across the six-yard box. Saka arrived first. It was Arsenal’s seventh competitive goal of 2026/27, again from open play.
Villa improved after their opening-day collapse and Buendía hit the bar, but David Raya was not required to make a save. Arsenal managed the game, protected the lead and left with a second successive league clean sheet.
The new enforcement focus remains part of the season-long file. It has not produced an Arsenal corner-goal in the first three competitive games. But Arsenal are seven from seven in open-play goals across those games. The sample is growing; certainty is not.
TERRY THE YIDO: “They gave them a penalty. VAR took it away. Then they won. It’s hard to do satire when the machines have briefly started behaving like machines.”
GUNNERSAURUS GARY: “Correct. The foul was outside. That is what a properly functioning system looks like. Also Saka was definitely fouled, so morally it was a penalty.”
KAREN FROM ISLINGTON: “You are all missing the spatial transition. Eze, Calafiori, Saka: it is a three-node corridor of elite inter-positional intelligence.”
CHELSEA DAVE: “Fine. You won without a corner and without a penalty. But you play us next, and we concede three per game. Something has to give.”
Sources: Premier League Match Centre VAR explanation, 31 Aug 2026; ESPN match report and table; Guardian match report; Premier League Saturday wrap; Premier League Sunday wrap. VARsenal is satirical commentary; official match facts are stated separately from character opinion.
Arsenal won the Community Shield comfortably. Riccardo Calafiori scored after 24 seconds, Kai Havertz added a second, and Martin Ødegaard completed the 3–0 win. This is not a claim that the result was decided by the referee. It is the first entry in the 2026/27 evidence trail: three documented incidents, zero admitted officiating errors, and enough theatre to keep the filing cabinet open.
At an Arsenal corner, Gabriel went down after holding Khusanov's shirt. Sam Barrott awarded City a free kick. The match reporting supports the call: this is a rejected appeal, not a penalty denied.
Khusanov lunged but pulled out and avoided contact. Calafiori went down anyway. No spot kick; a booking for simulation. The first formal receipt of the season.
Lewis-Skelly's studs landed on Elliot Anderson's foot. The referee penalised Anderson; VAR did not intervene. No red card was shown. VARsenal calls it the stamp that did not reach the monitor. That is opinion, not an admitted error.
The first Arsenal corners looked different. Players initially grouped wide of goal before breaking towards the six-yard box near delivery — a visible adaptation to the league’s stricter focus on impactful holding and goalkeeper obstruction. They did not score from a set piece. They did score three open-play goals. Both things are true.
Arteta was animated around the early penalty appeal and the first half had all the usual levels of tension, despite the scoreline. No formal touchline sanction was reported. The screenshot will say “losing his mind”; the evidence log says “animated, unsanctioned.”
TERRY: “You got the score. We got three screenshots, a simulation booking and a stamp that somehow got filed under ‘Anderson free kick’. This is what a season opener is for.”
GARY: “Three-nil. A simulation booking for us. A free kick against us. This is the most balanced officiating display in recorded Arsenal history.”
KAREN: “Calafiori was executing a defensive-contact stress test. The referee’s intervention has given us valuable model feedback.”
CHELSEA DAVE: “You battered them. Congratulations. And still we spent half an hour talking about a grab, a dive and a stamp. VARsenal remains operational.”
This is not a friendly. It is Arsenal’s first live audit under the Premier League’s 2026/27 refereeing emphasis on materially impactful holding and unfair goalkeeper obstruction at corners. The champions meet FA Cup holders Manchester City, and every Gunners set-piece will arrive with an official looking much more closely at the six-yard box.
VARsenal calls it the “wrestling crackdown”. Officially, it is not a bespoke FIFA ban on Arsenal: the Premier League and PGMOL have directed referees to identify clear, non-footballing holding with material impact, and unfair actions that stop a goalkeeper playing or challenging for the ball. The five-second restart countdown is an IFAB law change; the holding focus is a domestic Premier League enforcement priority.
The asterisk remains. Sunday does not decide whether Arsenal are legitimate champions. It does answer the first question of 2026/27: can the old set-piece advantage survive when the officials are finally looking at it?
Sources: Premier League 2026/27 Football Principles; IFAB Laws of the Game 2026/27; Evening Standard and NBC team-news previews, 13–14 August 2026. Matchday squads and availability remain subject to club confirmation. VARsenal is satirical commentary.
We were not very recognisable in set-piece areas.
— Mikel Arteta, post-match, Emirates Stadium, 9 August 2026
Two pre-season defeats. Six goals conceded. Zero set-piece goals. And then, standing at the Emirates podium after losing 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund, Mikel Arteta said the quiet part out loud.
"We were not very recognisable in set-piece areas."
Let us be precise about what that sentence means. Arsenal scored 22 of their 59 Premier League goals last season from set-pieces — 37% of their entire output. Sixteen of those came from corners. The system was built on Nicolas Jover's blocking routines: attackers pinning defenders, Ben White occupying the goalkeeper, bodies in the six-yard box wrestling for position before the ball arrived. It was legal, in the loosest possible sense of the word. It was also the foundation of a title.
The PGMOL's wrestling ban came into force this summer. Nine days in, and Arsenal's manager is standing at his own ground telling the press his team are "not recognisable" in the areas that won them the title. This is not a pre-season wobble. This is a structural crisis. The loophole has been closed. The game plan is gone.
The pre-season record tells the same story: 3-1 to Real Betis in Dublin (a mid-table Spanish side who had Héctor Bellerín — yes, that Héctor Bellerín — celebrating in the tunnel afterwards), then 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund at the Emirates. Arsenal led 2-1 in the Dortmund game before conceding twice in the final twenty minutes. One goal from open play across both defeats. The attack without set-pieces is blunt.
Meanwhile, the transfer window has delivered its own verdict on Arsenal's standing. Vinicius Jr used their £97m bid to negotiate a £19m-a-year contract extension at Real Madrid. Ferran Torres agreed personal terms with PSG. Arsenal are now reportedly pursuing Bradley Barcola — Liverpool's primary transfer target. The Premier League champions are chasing another club's second choice. The season starts in eleven days.
Arteta also said, post-Dortmund:
"It's unbelievable. You measure the performance, and we deserved to win by a mile."
Translation: we lost 3-2 at home to a team that finished 7th in the Bundesliga.
The "Vinicius Jr to Arsenal" dream lasted exactly four days. It turns out the best player at the club that has won 15 Champions Leagues had no intention of joining a club that has won zero. He used Arsenal's £97m bid as a bargaining chip, secured a new £19m-a-year contract from Real Madrid, and stayed exactly where he was. The Arsenal faithful are now pivoting to Ferran Torres from Barcelona, pretending that was the plan all along.
But the real story of the week happened in Dublin. Arsenal played Real Betis in a pre-season friendly and lost 2-1. Betis are an average mid-table Spanish side. The result doesn't matter, but the performance did: under the new PGMOL wrestling ban, Arsenal looked completely toothless from set-pieces.
Without Ben White putting the goalkeeper in a headlock, their corners were harmlessly cleared. Their game plan has been legislated away. The PGMOL took away the dark arts, and Arsenal suddenly looked like what they are: a team that relied on a loophole to mask a lack of open-play creativity. The Bruno Guimarães signing (£75m) is now official, but he cannot take the corners and head them in himself.
The new season is weeks away, and two massive developments have just collided. First, the IFAB and PGMOL have announced sweeping rule changes for 2026/27. Second, Arsenal have suddenly launched a £180m+ double bid for Vinicius Jr and Bruno Guimarães. Are the two connected? Let's look at the rules.
Faced with the reality that their primary source of goals (corners) and their primary defensive tactic (the dark arts) are both being legislated against, Arsenal have reacted by trying to buy the title instead. They have a verbal agreement for Newcastle's Bruno Guimarães (£80m+) and have bid £97m for Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have spent £117m on Morgan Rogers and signed 37-year-old Danny Welbeck on a free. Liverpool have lost Salah, Konaté, and Robertson for nothing. Man City are bracing for a Real Madrid bid for Rodri. If Arsenal land Vini and Bruno, the narrative shifts from "gifted by VAR" to "bought by Kroenke."
The summer transfer window is in full swing. Chelsea have done what Chelsea do: spent £117m on Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa, signed Andrey Santos for £48m, and are currently trying to sign Jordan Henderson on a free transfer because Clearlake Capital operates on vibes alone.
Arsenal, meanwhile, have been quiet. Very quiet. Apart from signing Christos Tzolis for £34m, the champions have kept their powder dry. Until this week, when Sky Sports broke the news that Arsenal have internally approved a £98m move for Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr. Madrid have panicked and offered him a new contract. Arsenal fans are already tracking flights from Barajas to Luton.
"Vini Jr on the left. Saka on the right. It's over. Give us the trophy now. We don't even need to play the games."
"You're not signing Vinicius Jr, Gary. You're being used by his agent to get an extra hundred grand a week out of Florentino Perez. It's the oldest trick in the book."
"Actually, if you look at Vini's defensive pressing metrics, he doesn't fit the Jover system. I'd rather we signed someone who understands the aggregate intensity requirements."
"You don't need Vinicius Jr. You've already got Darren England on a five-year contract. Best left-winger in the league."
Four mates. One table. Every major incident, relitigated in real time. Updated throughout the 2026/27 season.
Terry is drinking black coffee. Dave is looking at his phone, smiling. Gary has not slept.
"It's a lottery, isn't it? Penalties. Complete lottery. Could happen to anyone. Gabriel was brave to step up. Shows character."
"He head-butted Haaland in October and didn't get booked. He missed a penalty in May and lost the Champions League. The universe has a sense of humour, Gary."
"Actually, if you look at the xG of the penalty shootout, Arsenal were statistically superior. PSG just got lucky with the variance."
"I was there. I bought a bottle of Bollinger when he missed. It tasted like justice. UEFA referees don't take calls from Stockley Park, do they?"
"We'll be back next year. Trust the process."
"You'll be back next year, and Darren England won't be in the VAR booth. Good luck."
Gary is wearing a replica shirt. Terry has a pint. Dave has already done the maths.
"Champions of England. Twenty-two years. You can't argue with the table. The table doesn't lie."
"The table doesn't lie, but the PGMOL does. Three admitted errors in your favour. One against. You won the league by two points."
"You have to look at the aggregate intensity. We forced those errors by being in the final third more often. It's a tactical advantage, not a refereeing one."
"Karen, Darren England gave you five points in stoppage time this season. He's your player of the year. You should put him on the open-top bus."
"They hate us because they ain't us."
"We hate you because you're playing a different sport with different rules."
Immediately after Darren England disallows West Ham's 95th-minute equaliser. Arsenal are five points clear.
"Clear foul. Clear as day. He breathed on the goalkeeper. You can't do that in the modern game."
"He was three yards away from Raya. Raya dropped it. Darren England spent four minutes and seventeen seconds looking for a reason to disallow it."
"The Jover manual explicitly states that any disruption of the goalkeeper's visual field constitutes interference. It's in the rulebook."
"Darren England cost Liverpool the title in 2023 and handed it to Arsenal in 2026. The man is consistent, I'll give him that."
"Three points. Move on. That's what champions do."
"I'm starting a spreadsheet. I'm writing this down. I'm not letting this go."
Every major VAR incident. Every disputed decision. Every time Arteta blames the grass. Gary and Karen will defend it. Terry will document it. Dave will order another bottle.
Every pub has them. Four mates. Two Arsenal fans who cannot see it. One Spurs fan who has been documenting it for fifteen years. One Chelsea fan who finds the whole thing mildly hilarious.
THE MUSEUM OF GRIEVANCE
The old season is not deleted. It is filed, sourced and available for inspection. Start with the self-own: the Squawka table remains visible in the archive because the joke works better when the evidence does not always agree with the theory. For permanent, searchable dossiers, use the Case Files index.
PSG 1–1 Arsenal (AET). PSG win 4–3 on penalties. Gabriel Magalhães — the man who head-butted Erling Haaland and kept his place on the pitch — stepped up last. His feet said everything his head had been protected from saying all season.
Kai Havertz scored in the sixth minute. Arsenal led 1–0. For 59 minutes, the Premier League champions looked like they might do it. Then Dembélé equalised from the spot. 1–1. Extra time. No more goals. Penalties.
Arsenal missed two. Eze blazed over. Gabriel stepped up last, with the shootout at 3–4, needing to score to keep Arsenal alive. He didn't. The ball went wide. PSG retained the Champions League. Back-to-back European champions.
The irony is not subtle. Gabriel Magalhães — who head-butted Erling Haaland during the Premier League season and was not sent off, not cautioned, not punished in any meaningful way, because the system that governs English football had decided that Arsenal's season was too important to interrupt — took the penalty that would have kept Arsenal's Champions League dream alive. UEFA referees don't take calls from Stockley Park. Howard Webb's reach ends at the English Channel. In Budapest, on the biggest stage in club football, Gabriel was on his own. And his feet, unlike his head, were not protected.
Arsenal won the Premier League. That is on the record. The asterisk is also on the record. Twenty-two years of waiting, ended with the most controversial title in the modern era. And then Budapest. The Champions League Final. No Stockley Park. No Howard Webb. No safety net. Just a penalty spot and a man who spent the season being protected by a system that does not operate in Europe.
He should have used his head. He always does. *
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Our source — who works in a Stockley Park car park and wishes to remain anonymous — has exclusively leaked the VARsenal 2026/27 home kit. All black. Adidas. Sleeve sponsor: VISIT VARLAND. Boot branding: VARCHECK. The badge reads VARsenal above the cannon.
The kit is all black because, as the design brief apparently stated: "referees wear black. We want them to feel at home."
Arsenal ended a 22-year wait for the Premier League title on Tuesday 19 May 2026. On the same day, Pep Guardiola announced he was leaving Manchester City. By Wednesday morning, the newspaper back pages were split. By Thursday, Pep's farewell lap of honour at the Etihad had generated more column inches, more broadcast minutes, and more emotional tributes than Arsenal lifting the trophy.
The coverage Arsenal did receive was — how to put this — qualified. Jeff Powell in the Daily Mail called the title "tainted" and said it "should be marked with an asterisk." He coined the phrase "WAR — Wrongfully Assisting Referees." He described Stockley Park as "a dark cubby-hole secreted in a business park miles distant from the real action." He is not wrong about the last one.
Meanwhile, on X: "Arsenal finally won the league, but Pep still stole the spotlight." Arsenal spent 22 years waiting to win the Premier League. They finally did it. And somehow still ended up as the supporting act in someone else's farewell tour. This is, in its own way, very Arsenal.
“Arsenal's tainted title should be marked with an asterisk. Rarely, if ever, have champions been given so much unseemly outside help.”
VARsenal will return for the 2026/27 season. The kit is ready. The car park is booked. Darren England has presumably been promoted. Howard Webb is on a beach somewhere. The asterisk is permanent.
Arsenal are Premier League champions. Congratulations. Genuinely. Twenty-two years. It's a long time. The fans deserve it. The players worked for it. And the referees... well. The referees were incredibly helpful throughout. Every other set of supporters in England watched this season with the same quiet, knowing look. The look that says: yes, they won it. And we all know how.
It started in August, as it always does, with Mikel Arteta explaining to a journalist that a routine tackle on one of his players was, in fact, a war crime. By September, three separate referees had been publicly criticised by Arsenal's manager for decisions that, upon review, were entirely correct. The narrative was established: Arsenal were victims. The world was conspiring against them. The referees hated them.
By March, PGMOL had admitted three errors in Arsenal's favour. Brighton were denied a penalty. Raya handled outside his box against Leverkusen and VAR did nothing. Arsenal progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals. The KMI Panel issued a statement. Arsenal issued nothing, because Arsenal never issue statements about decisions that go their way. This is consistent. This is policy.
In May, West Ham scored in the 95th minute to equalise. The stadium erupted. The assistant referee saw no foul. The on-field call was goal. Then Darren England — who you will remember from 2023, when he cost Liverpool 2 points in an error PGMOL publicly admitted — spent four minutes and seventeen seconds reviewing a sequence of events and concluded that the one foul worth showing the referee was the one that disallowed the goal. The two fouls by Arsenal players on West Ham players were mentioned briefly, then set aside. The referee, standing at the monitor, said: "I don't know what you're trying to show me, give me a clue." He was given one clue. One angle. One conclusion. He disallowed the goal. Arsenal won the title.
Howard Webb appeared on television and said it was categorically correct. This is the same Howard Webb who employs Darren England. This is the same Howard Webb whose organisation has admitted three errors in Arsenal's favour this season. This is the same Howard Webb who, in a parallel universe that does not exist but feels very real, is photographed on a beach in a Hawaiian shirt with a Premier League Referees lanyard around his neck, arm around a man in an Arsenal kit, both of them holding cold beers and smiling the smile of people who know exactly how the season ended.
Arsenal are champions. The asterisk is not a conspiracy theory. It is a footnote. It is the small print at the bottom of the certificate. It is the thing that every fan of every other club in England will say, quietly, to themselves, for the next twenty-two years, until Arsenal win it again. When you know, you know. Always an *.
“Arsenal fans celebrating a title won with more admitted referee errors in their favour than any other club. The audacity. The absolute audacity.”
@FootballTwitter, May 2026
“Darren England, the man who cost Liverpool 2 points in 2023, was VAR for the game that decided the title. You genuinely cannot make this up. You cannot. I have tried.”
@SoccerMemes, May 2026
“The referee at the monitor: ‘Give me a clue.’ VAR: *shows him the one clip that disallows the goal* Referee: ‘Yeah that’s a foul.’ PGMOL: ‘Categorically correct.’ Rest of England: 👀”
@PremierLeagueMemes, May 2026
Arsenal FC. Premier League Champions 2025/26. 38 games. 3 admitted errors in their favour. 1 VAR operator who cost Liverpool 2 points in 2023. 4 minutes 17 seconds. 1 referee who didn't know what he was being shown. Always an *.
PGMOL released the full VAR audio from West Ham vs Arsenal. It was supposed to exonerate them. It did the opposite. The tape reveals that VAR Darren England and his assistant identified multiple fouls on West Ham players during the same corner — including what Dermot Gallagher confirmed was a clear penalty on Mavropanos by Declan Rice — and chose not to show the referee any of them. The referee was walked to the monitor, shown the foul on Raya, briefly shown Trossard on Pablo (which he dismissed in seconds), and then told about the Rice foul — only to be immediately reassured: "but the foul happens on the goalkeeper before." The prior fouls were mentioned. Then buried. The tape took 4 minutes and 17 seconds to produce a conclusion that protected Arsenal's title. Howard Webb called it "categorically correct." West Ham called it something else.
The AVAR flags multiple incidents during the same corner: Trossard on Pablo, Declan Rice holding Mavropanos at the back. The VAR team discusses them. The referee is shown the Raya foul. The Rice foul is mentioned — then immediately dismissed with "but the foul happens on the goalkeeper before." Dermot Gallagher confirmed on Sky Sports: if there is no foul on Raya, the Rice challenge on Mavropanos is a penalty. The referee was never shown that angle.
That is how long it took VAR to find a reason to disallow the goal. The initial on-field call was goal. The assistant referee said he saw no foul on the goalkeeper. It took Darren England — the same official who cost Liverpool 2 points in 2023 in an error PGMOL publicly admitted — four minutes and seventeen seconds of trawling through angles, split screens, and pole cams to locate the impactful contact. The conclusion was never in doubt. The journey was just the paperwork.
VAR protocol requires incidents to be assessed in chronological sequence. The Rice foul on Mavropanos occurs in the build-up. Gallagher confirmed it. The AVAR flagged it. The referee was told about it. Then VAR said: "the foul happens on the goalkeeper before." Sequence abandoned. Penalty claim buried. The tape was released to show transparency. What it showed instead was a room full of people who knew exactly which way this was going before they started looking.
“If there is not a foul on the goalkeeper, that is definitely a penalty as Mavropanos is running towards the ball.”
— Dermot Gallagher, Sky Sports Ref Watch
“I don't know what you're trying to show me, give me a clue.”
— Referee Chris Kavanagh, on being shown the other incidents at the monitor
“Is it a foul on the goalkeeper? Categorically yes.”
— Howard Webb, PGMOL chief, on Match Officials Mic'd Up
VERDICT: The tape was released. The tape raised more questions than it answered. Howard Webb declared it categorically correct. Darren England remains employed. West Ham remain in the relegation zone. Arsenal remain on course for the title. The Premier League's integrity remains exactly where it was before the tape was released.
The same VAR official who cost Liverpool 2 points in 2023 — in an error PGMOL publicly admitted — was appointed to oversee Arsenal's most important league game in 22 years. He disallowed West Ham's 95th-minute equaliser. Arsenal are now 5 points clear with 2 games remaining. Gary Neville called it "the biggest moment in VAR history." West Ham are filing an official complaint. And a forensic report has established structural conditions that make an Arsenal title institutionally preferable. Make of that what you will.
"That's the biggest moment in VAR history in the Premier League. Darren England made the right decision and Arsenal breathed the biggest sigh of relief their fans have felt for a long, long time."
"It was a brave decision. It could alter Arsenal history."
"What really makes me angry is that Arsenal would never be top of the league if that's a free-kick. That's how they've scored so many goals — by blocking people, holding people. It takes VAR five minutes. He starts it over and over again… that in itself puts so much doubt into that decision."
"We have seen on numerous occasions with Arsenal this season goalkeepers and defenders getting blocked off and the goal stands. Why are some goals allowed to stand and this one disallowed? There is so much at stake."
"It's a clear foul. It's the one time I actually think VAR has done a really good job in such an important game."
"Do not put your hands on the goalkeeper! Certainly don't leave it there for three or four seconds. It was really silly from West Ham."
If Arsenal are being systematically favoured, why aren't they top of the VAR error table? (Squawka Analysis, May 2026)
| Club | VAR Errors For | VAR Errors Against | Net Balance | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bournemouth | 8 | 2 | +6 | 🤔 Most favoured |
| Wolves | 6 | 2 | +4 | |
| Chelsea | 5 | 2 | +3 | |
| Arsenal | 7 | 5 | +2 | 🔴 4th most favoured |
| Manchester United | 4 | 3 | +1 | |
| Manchester City | 4 | 4 | 0 | |
| Tottenham | 3 | 4 | -1 | |
| Liverpool | 2 | 7 | -5 | 😤 Most disadvantaged |
| Crystal Palace | 2 | 7 | -5 | 😤 Most disadvantaged |
Source: Squawka Analysis, May 2026 | The forensic report's conclusion: "If systematic pro-Arsenal bias existed, Arsenal would likely lead this table. The data does not support directional bias toward Arsenal."
The FA's Special Share, the £12.25bn broadcast cycle, Arsenal's 22-year drought as a marketing asset, and Man City's 115 unresolved FFP charges all create structural conditions where an Arsenal title is institutionally preferable. These conditions are real and documented.
No direct evidence of intent, instruction, or algorithmic manipulation has been found. Arsenal's VAR balance (+2) is not exceptional — six clubs have more favourable balances. PGMOL's 22.7% error increase correlates with stricter intervention thresholds, not club-specific bias.
The report identifies an internal tension: if regulators are delaying the City 115 verdict to protect fairness, they cannot simultaneously be manipulating outcomes to favour Arsenal. Both cannot be true. The report cannot resolve this contradiction.
Charges filed February 2023. Formal hearing concluded December 2024. No liability verdict as of May 2026. If found guilty on most serious allegations: potential 40-60 point deduction. A "regulatory-clean" Arsenal champion would resolve this narrative. Coincidence or not — you decide.
| Club | Pts | GD | GF | Games Left | Max Pts | Title Odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Arsenal | 79 | +42 | 66 | 2 | 85 | 4/6 FAV |
| 🔵 Man City | 74 | +40 | 63 | 3 | 83 | 5/4 |
West Ham United have confirmed they will lodge an official complaint with PGMOL following the disallowed goal. They will also request the full audio recording between referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR Darren England during the review.
This makes West Ham the latest club to formally challenge PGMOL's decision-making in a high-stakes fixture — joining Liverpool (2023), Tottenham (2023), and Everton (2024) in filing official complaints about VAR decisions.
The Premier League's integrity problem is real — but it is structural, not conspiratorial. The governance architecture, the commercial imperatives, and the regulatory vacuum all create conditions where an Arsenal title is institutionally convenient. Whether those conditions have been operationally exploited is a question that cannot be answered without PGMOL's internal communications.
What we know for certain: the same VAR official who made the most consequential error in recent Premier League history was appointed to the most consequential match of Arsenal's season in 22 years. He made a decision that Gary Neville called "the biggest moment in VAR history." Arsenal are now 5 points clear with 2 games remaining.
The forensic report's final classification: Structural bias: ESTABLISHED. Directional bias: NOT ESTABLISHED.
Make of that what you will. varsenal.co.uk
In the space of 90 minutes, Arsenal complained about the grass being too long, had their own players accused of diving, and then fumed about VAR. You genuinely cannot make this up.
At 6:00pm BST — two hours before kick-off — Arsenal ground staff requested UEFA measure the length of the grass at the Metropolitano. They believed Diego Simeone had grown the pitch too long as a "dark arts" tactic to slow down Arsenal's passing game.
"They thought it was some Simeone dark arts."
— Football365 report
UEFA measured the grass. Result: 26mm. The maximum permitted under Article 34 of the Champions League rulebook is 30mm. Atletico were fully compliant. Arsenal were left red-faced.
"UEFA said it was 26mm. The limit is 30mm."
— UEFA official statement
Viktor Gyökeres wins a penalty after appearing to wait for contact and drop to the ground. Arsenal score. 1-0.
"My humble opinion is that Gyökeres feels contact on his back and just drops down. This cannot be a penalty."
— Diego Simeone
Ben White adjudged to have handled Marcos Llorente's volley. Julián Álvarez scores from the spot. 1-1. Rice: "At first glance I thought maybe in the Premier League it doesn't get given because it's so low to the ground."
Referee awards penalty to Arsenal for Hancko's trip on Eberechi Eze. VAR intervenes. Referee watches 13 replays. Decision overturned. Eze accused of simulation. Arsenal furious.
"I'm incredibly fuming. When a referee has to watch it 13 times, what is clear about that? It's impossible and we are all fuming about it."
"I think the fans provoked the decision and changed the ref's mind."
"My humble opinion is that Gyökeres feels contact on his back and just drops down. This cannot be a penalty."
| Tactic | Simeone / Atletico | Arteta / Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| Grass length manipulation | 26mm — LEGAL ✓ | Complained about it — REJECTED ✗ |
| Penalty simulation | Accused Arsenal of it | Gyökeres "waits for contact and drops" — Simeone |
| Referee pressure | Simeone on touchline during VAR review — "atrocious" (McManaman) | Rice: "fans provoked the decision" |
| Tunnel confrontation | Simeone clashes with Ben White | Ben White clashes with Simeone |
| Pre-match complaint | None | Grass complaint — 2 hours before kick-off |
Arsenal host Atletico Madrid at the Emirates on Tuesday 5 May. The winner faces either PSG or Bayern Munich in the final. Arsenal will need to win the second leg to progress. They will presumably check the grass length at the Emirates before kick-off.
12 days ago Arsenal were 9 points clear at the top of the Premier League. Today they are level with Manchester City on every single metric — points, games played, goal difference. City lead on goals scored. The bookmakers have spoken: Man City 4/7 favourites. Arsenal 5/4 outsiders.
Separated by 3 goals scored. City lead on goals scored: 66 vs 63. That is the entire margin.
Carabao Cup ❌ FA Cup ❌ Premier League ❓
Rested 11 players. Trained with pens. Lost to a Championship side. Lost at home to Bournemouth.
The bottle job is no longer a theory. It is a confirmed result.
In 20 days, Arsenal have lost the Carabao Cup Final, been knocked out of the FA Cup by a Championship side, trained with stationery, and now lost at home to Bournemouth in the Premier League title run-in. They rested 11 players to be fit for this. The pens did not help. The trophies remain at zero. The clock keeps ticking.
Arsenal rested 11 players for the international break to be fit for the title run-in. Then lost to the 7th-placed Championship side. The same Gabriel who was "too injured" to play for Brazil started — and limped off with an actual injury. You could not write it.
Eleven Arsenal players withdrew from international duty during the March 2026 break. Almost a full first XI. All will be available for Arsenal's title run-in. The Telegraph called it "echoes of Sir Alex Ferguson." We call it The Arteta Flu.
⚠️ VARsenal Legal Notice: We are not suggesting these injuries are fabricated. We are merely noting that eleven key players withdrew during a single international break, that the only players who did NOT withdraw are those whose national teams need them for World Cup qualifying, and that all will be available for Arsenal's most important month in two decades. The Telegraph has drawn the Ferguson comparison. We merely present the evidence.
Arsenal are currently level on 74 points with Liverpool, with Man City one point behind and a game in hand. The players being "rested" are needed for:
🔍 VARsenal Verdict: Five of the eleven withdrawals are legitimate injuries. The other six — Saliba, Gabriel, Trossard, Rice, Saka, and Hincapie — withdrew with no specific diagnosis, or after playing one game, or after a "medical assessment" with no details provided. Crucially: the only Arsenal players who did NOT withdraw are those whose national teams are in World Cup qualifying and cannot afford to release them. France, Brazil, Belgium, England and Norway can afford to send players home. Italy and Sweden cannot. This is not coincidence. This is The Arteta Flu.
The Telegraph ran the headline: "Mikel Arteta, Arsenal's raft of England withdrawals and echoes of Sir Alex Ferguson." They're not wrong. But there are key differences.
"When I arrived here, Brian Kidd told me that Sir Alex Ferguson used the international break to say everyone was off and I thought… if Sir Alex Ferguson has done it… I think 'I'm going to do it' and everyone goes home."— Pep Guardiola, Match of the Day, October 2024
Guardiola openly admitted he copies Ferguson's approach. Nobody called it cheating. When Arteta does the same thing, it's a scandal. The double standard is not subtle.
Daily Cannon, 29 March 2026: "Perhaps unsurprisingly, there have been no withdrawals from the group of four players involved in World Cup qualifiers this week, given the relative importance of their matches. Italy, Sweden, and the rest can't afford to allow players like Riccardo Calafiori and Viktor Gyokeres to have a week off, or their national teams might not make the summer tournament at all."
In other words: the players whose countries NEED them have stayed. The players whose World Cup spots are guaranteed have come home. This is not a medical emergency. This is a coordinated strategy between Arsenal, the players, and cooperative national team managers who understand that a friendly against Japan is worth less than having Saka fit for Man City away on April 19.
A side-by-side comparison of Arteta's press conference behaviour, depending entirely on which way the decision went.
A lovingly documented archive of the moments that made the rest of the Premier League weep into their scarves.
Just minutes into the second half, Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga — preferred to the more infamous David Raya — rushed out to meet Jeremy Doku as the Belgian burst clear through on goal. Beaten to the ball, Kepa grabbed and held Doku outside the penalty area, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. Under the laws of the game, this is a textbook red card offence. Referee Peter Bankes produced a yellow. VAR did not upgrade it. Arsenal escaped with 11 men.
"He was the last man, he held him back outside the box — that's a red card in any other game." — Pundit reaction, Wembley, 22 March 2026
It made no difference. Man City won 2-0 anyway. But the pattern continues: Arsenal goalkeepers committing professional fouls, escaping the harshest punishment. Raya outside the box. Now Kepa with a clear red. The refs remain... accommodating.
Arsenal arrived at Wembley as Premier League leaders, chasing a historic quadruple, with the most referee-assisted season in recent memory behind them. They lost 0-2 to Manchester City. Nico O'Reilly — a 21-year-old who celebrated his birthday the day before — scored both goals, getting in behind Bukayo Saka twice at the back post. Kepa gifted City the opener with a calamitous error, letting a cross slip through his grasp. The quadruple dream is dead. 2,059 days without a major trophy and counting.
"Nico O'Reilly is as Mancunian as they come. He scored both goals as his boyhood club lifted major silverware at Wembley." — Match report, 22 March 2026
The VAR couldn't help them this time. No Madueke to fall over. No Raya handball to ignore. No Arteta excuse generator running fast enough. Just football. And Arsenal lost.
In the 32nd minute at the Emirates, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya — clearly eager to launch a counter-attack — picked up the ball, walked two full yards outside his penalty area, and casually rolled it out to Declan Rice. In any other game, in any other era, this is an automatic free-kick in a dangerous position for the opposition. Referee Danny Makkelie and all four of his officials missed it completely. VAR did not intervene. Arsenal kept possession and went on to win 2-0.
"It is certainly rare to see a goalkeeper accidentally leave their box with the ball in hand at the top level of football, but that is what transpired at the Emirates on Tuesday." — Football Insider, 17 March 2026
Football Insider's ref watch listed it as one of three decisions Danny Makkelie got wrong on the night. Raya himself appeared oblivious. Arteta, naturally, had no comment.
Arsenal won 1-0 at Brighton on 4 March. Brighton were furious to be denied a penalty when Martinelli appeared to foul Mats Wieffer in the dying embers of the first half. On-field referee Chris Kavanagh waved it away. VAR Michael Salisbury — the same VAR who missed the Everton penalty in December — cleared the incident as "no clear and obvious error."
"The panel voted 4:1 that a spot-kick ought to have been given on the pitch, and 3:2 that it represented a missed VAR intervention." — Premier League KMI Panel Statement, 17 March 2026
The Premier League's own Key Match Incidents Panel has now confirmed it WAS a penalty and VAR SHOULD have intervened. This is the third time this season Arsenal have directly profited from a missed penalty call — after Chelsea (Rice handball) and Everton (Saliba foul). Sports Illustrated noted: "Arsenal profit from VAR error for second time this season as mistake admitted."
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal's talisman and England's golden boy, was substituted off after just 60 minutes in the second leg against Leverkusen — his second consecutive poor performance against the German side. In the first leg, he was so poor that Arteta had already seen enough with an hour on the clock. In the second leg, the story was the same. Saka struggled to make any impact, was largely ineffective against Leverkusen's defensive setup, and was replaced by Eberechi Eze, who went on to score the opening goal.
"Low blocks, injuries, lots more familiarity from opposition on how he plays. Tough for him. Still a class player and person, we need to be 100% behind him." — Mikel Arteta, post-match press conference
Arteta's defence of Saka was characteristically diplomatic. The MSN headline was less so: "It's so clear that Mikel Arteta needs to make a call Bukayo Saka won't like." The irony? Eze — the man who replaced him — scored the goal that sent Arsenal through.
Arsenal were losing 1-0 and heading for a Champions League defeat at the BayArena. Then, in the 89th minute, referee Darren England pointed to the spot for a contact so faint it required a microscope to detect — Malik Tillman's alleged touch on Noni Madueke. Kai Havertz, returning to his former club, stepped up and converted. The Leverkusen bench erupted in fury.
"It's not a penalty. We were the better team for 90 minutes and deserved the win tonight." — Kasper Hjulmand, Leverkusen Manager
ESPN's VAR review confirmed Arsenal were "fortunate" to receive the penalty. Havertz himself admitted he was "sorry" for Leverkusen. The referee, however, had no such regrets.
Arsenal were losing 1-0 when Noni Madueke went to ground under minimal contact from Malik Tillman in the penalty area. The referee pointed to the spot. Havertz scored. Arsenal drew. The football world erupted. Ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett called it outright "SIMULATION". Multiple pundits said Madueke should have been booked. Arteta, meanwhile, threatened to boycott the second leg because VAR didn't give them another penalty.
"He should be booked for simulation, yet gets rewarded with a penalty. Football — it's getting unwatchable." — Football fan reaction, widely shared
ESPN's VAR review confirmed Arsenal were "fortunate" to receive the penalty. Martin Keown said it was a penalty. Martin Keown always says it's a penalty.
In the 94th minute, referee Halil Umut Meler showed Kai Havertz a yellow card after an Arsenal corner. The reason? Nobody knows. Havertz was simply standing in the box while Alejandro Grimaldo had his hands around him. He had his back to the ball. He wasn't arguing. The official Sofascore reason was listed as an "argument" — but no argument was visible. Even Arsenal fans couldn't explain it. Havertz himself looked baffled.
"It was one of the most baffling refereeing decisions I have ever seen. Havertz simply stood in the box while having Grimaldo's hands around him." — Arsenal Insider
The irony? Arsenal had spent the week being accused of grappling at corners. The referee, apparently overcorrecting, booked the Arsenal player who was being grabbed.
In the 24th minute, Kai Havertz was sent through on goal and had his left ankle stamped on by Michael Keane inside the penalty area. The referee waved play on. VAR reviewed it and confirmed the decision — no penalty. Havertz was incensed. Replays clearly showed Keane's foot landing on Havertz's ankle. Arsenal won 2-0 anyway (thanks to 16-year-old Max Dowman), but the penalty denial dominated post-match discussion.
"An absolute disgrace. The replays clearly show the contact on Havertz's ankle. VAR has to intervene there." — Jamie Redknapp, Sky Sports
The Premier League Match Centre issued a statement saying the contact from Keane was "not intentional" — a curious standard given that intent is not required for a penalty to be awarded.
William Saliba kicked Thierno Barry's calf inside the penalty area. The referee didn't give it. VAR didn't intervene. Arsenal won 1-0 and spent Christmas Day at the top of the Premier League table. Two weeks later, the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel voted 3-2 that it was a penalty and that VAR should have sent the referee to the monitor.
"Had the penalty decision gone the way of Everton, Arsenal would have made the trip back to London with just one point." — Sports Illustrated
Brighton were awarded a penalty when William Saliba appeared to make unintentional contact with Joao Pedro while trying to win a header. Replays showed Saliba got a slight touch on the ball first. The VAR took just seven seconds to confirm the decision. Arsenal, who had been leading 1-0, drew the match and dropped two more precious points.
"VAR took just seven seconds to determine Brighton's controversial penalty against Arsenal was correct to be given." — Sky Sports
Declan Rice received a second yellow card for kicking the ball away — a decision so minimal that Arteta later claimed Rice had simply "passed the ball." Arsenal had been leading 1-0 and ended up drawing, losing two vital points. Two games later, Leandro Trossard did the same thing against Manchester City (this time, he definitely kicked it) and received the same punishment. Arsenal drew again.
"He passed the ball." — Mikel Arteta, with a completely straight face
Myles Lewis-Skelly was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Matt Doherty — a challenge that, by any reasonable standard, was a yellow card. The red card was later overturned on appeal. This was the only VAR error the Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel admitted went against Arsenal in the entire 2024-25 season. Just one. Out of the entire season.
"A yellow card is far more in keeping with how the game is refereed in the Premier League." — Dale Johnson, ESPN VAR Review
Gabriel Martinelli caused a major controversy when he kicked Conor Bradley while the Liverpool player was already down injured. Arteta's defence? "He didn't realise." Martinelli later apologised. Roy Keane called it "disgraceful." Arne Slot, Liverpool's manager, took the diplomatic route and defended Martinelli. The incident sparked a wider debate about Arsenal's conduct on the pitch.
"He didn't realise." — Mikel Arteta, Arsenal Manager
Arsenal have turned the humble corner kick into a full-contact sport. Here's how they've been getting away with it.
Under manager Mikel Arteta and set-piece coach Nicolas Jover, Arsenal have developed a corner kick routine that involves deliberately placing players on the opposition goalkeeper — blocking their movement, obstructing their jump, and essentially using them as a human wall. The result? 31+ goals from corners since the start of the 2023-24 season, more than any other team in the Premier League.
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher's response when asked about the tactic? He told goalkeepers to "be stronger." Goalkeepers, apparently, should simply defy the laws of physics when a 6'2" centre-back is sitting on their feet.
The controversy reached fever pitch in March 2026 when Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler accused Arsenal of exploiting "grey areas" in officiating. Wolves manager Gary O'Neil went further, calling the tactics "illegal." Chelsea legend John Obi Mikel was even more direct: "Those goals should not stand. What they're doing to the goalkeeper is illegal."
Liverpool's Arne Slot declared "it's gone too far" and said Premier League games are no longer "a joy to watch." Manchester United's Michael Carrick added: "As a game, it doesn't feel like we've got that balance right." Meanwhile, Opta data revealed Arsenal take 44.4 seconds per corner on average — the longest in the entire Premier League. Manchester City take 32.3 seconds. Chelsea take 30.8 seconds.
Arteta's response to all this criticism? He said he was "upset" that Arsenal "haven't scored more." Absolute zero shame. Magnificent.
"Those goals should not stand. What they're doing to the goalkeeper is illegal."— John Obi Mikel, Chelsea Legend
"Arsenal play pure HARAM ball. The way they attack corners should be ILLEGAL."— Fan reaction, widely shared on social media
"I'm upset we haven't scored more [from corners]."— Mikel Arteta, Arsenal Manager (March 2026)
"Arsenal take full advantage of grey areas in officiating."— Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton Manager
Arsenal players have a long and distinguished history of creative falling. Here we celebrate the artistry.
The original Arsenal diver. Pires elevated simulation to an art form in the early 2000s, winning penalties with falls that would have impressed Olympic gymnasts. He set the template that Arsenal players have been following ever since.
Arsenal received a record 6th yellow card for simulation in a single Premier League season — more than any other club. They were officially crowned the Premier League's biggest divers. A historic achievement.
Bukayo Saka has been involved in numerous controversial penalty decisions across the Premier League and Champions League. Arsenal had a penalty overturned against Fulham in October 2025 — the second time in three games they'd had a penalty appeal rejected. The referees are finally catching on. Sometimes.
Noni Madueke's 89th-minute fall vs Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League Round of 16 was so theatrical that ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett called it outright "simulation." The penalty was awarded. Arsenal drew. Arteta then threatened to boycott the second leg because VAR didn't give them another penalty. The audacity is truly breathtaking.
Gabriel Martinelli has contributed to Arsenal's rich tradition of dramatic falls and controversial moments. His January 2026 incident against Liverpool — kicking Conor Bradley while injured — showed a different side of Arsenal's dark arts. Arteta's defence: "He didn't realise." Truly, a masterclass in managerial spin.
Mikel Arteta has turned referee harassment into a performing art. A curated selection of his finest moments.
Arteta has been booked multiple times for his touchline protests and has escaped FA punishment on several occasions for post-match refereeing rants. His ability to argue every single decision while simultaneously benefiting from controversial calls is truly a special talent.
Arteta was seen shouting at referee Chris Kavanagh before halftime in one memorable incident. The FA investigated. Nothing happened. Arsenal won. Business as usual.
Despite multiple incidents, Arteta has repeatedly escaped significant FA punishment for his refereeing rants. His post-match press conferences after controversial decisions are a masterclass in selective outrage — furious when decisions go against Arsenal, mysteriously silent when they benefit.
Don't just take our word for it. Here's the video evidence. Watch, weep, and wonder how they keep getting away with it.
Sky Sports and pundits react to the controversial 89th-minute penalty that rescued Arsenal's Champions League tie.
A comprehensive compilation of the worst VAR decisions of the 2024-25 season. Arsenal feature prominently, naturally.
The 2025 edition. Even longer. Even worse. Strap in.
The full match highlights from the BayArena. Watch the penalty and judge for yourself.
Even UEFA had to weigh in on the controversy surrounding Arsenal's penalty decisions.
The other side of the argument — Arsenal fans defending every single decision. Entertaining viewing.
Statistics, facts, and figures that paint a very interesting picture. Purely coincidental, of course.
| Club | VAR Errors FOR | VAR Errors AGAINST | Net Benefit | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Arsenal | 7 | 3 | +4 | 😇 Divinely Blessed |
| 🍒 Bournemouth | 5 | 0 | +5 | 🍀 Very Lucky |
| 🦅 Crystal Palace | 1 | 5 | -4 | 😭 Robbed |
| ⚫ Newcastle | 4 | 5 | -1 | 😐 Roughly Fair |
| 🔵 Brighton | 4 | 2 | +2 | 😊 Lucky |
| ⚪ Spurs | 4 | 5 | -1 | 😐 Roughly Fair |
* Data from Squawka fan polls, GiveMeSport analysis, and the Premier League's own KMI Panel rulings. Arsenal's 7 errors in their favour includes three officially confirmed missed penalty calls (Everton Dec 2025, Chelsea Feb 2026, Brighton Mar 2026), plus the Leverkusen first-leg Madueke penalty, Raya's handball outside the box (17 Mar 2026), and additional judgment calls. VAR Michael Salisbury was the official for both the Everton AND Brighton errors.
Managers, pundits, and legends from across football have had their say. We've collected the best ones.
"2,059 days without a trophy. The quadruple dream is dead. Saka was skinned by a 21-year-old on his birthday. The VAR couldn't save them this time."— VARsenal Editorial Team
"He was the last man, outside the box, denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. That is a red card. Peter Bankes showed yellow. VAR did not intervene."— Pundit reaction
"It is certainly rare to see a goalkeeper accidentally leave their box with the ball in hand at the top level of football, but that is what transpired at the Emirates on Tuesday."— Football Insider
"It feels as though certain clubs get those decisions and other clubs don't."— David Moyes, Everton Manager
"The panel voted 4:1 that a spot-kick ought to have been given on the pitch, and 3:2 that it represented a missed VAR intervention."— Premier League KMI Panel Statement
"Low blocks, injuries, lots more familiarity from opposition on how he plays. Tough for him."— Mikel Arteta
"An absolute disgrace. The replays clearly show the contact on Havertz's ankle. VAR has to intervene there."— Jamie Redknapp, Sky Sports
"He should be booked for simulation, yet gets rewarded with a penalty. Football — it's getting unwatchable."— Keith Hackett, Ex-PGMOL Chief
"It's not a penalty. We were the better team for 90 minutes and deserved the win tonight."— Kasper Hjulmand, Bayer Leverkusen Manager
"I'm upset we haven't scored more [from corners]."— Mikel Arteta
"Those goals should not stand. What they're doing to the goalkeeper is illegal."— John Obi Mikel
"Arsenal take full advantage of grey areas in officiating at corner kicks."— Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton Manager
"He passed the ball."— Mikel Arteta
"He didn't realise."— Mikel Arteta
"Arteta's tactics are illegal."— Gary O'Neil, Wolves Manager
"He hasn't been strong enough — if he thinks it's a foul, go down."— Dermot Gallagher, Former Premier League Referee
"Arsenal are officially the Premier League's biggest divers."— Multiple media outlets
"Now most of the games I see in the Premier League are not, for me, a joy to watch. I think it's gone too far."— Arne Slot, Liverpool Manager
"It wasn't long ago we were told you couldn't lay a hand on anyone in the box. As a game, it doesn't feel like we've got that balance right."— Michael Carrick, Manchester United Manager
"Sometimes they spend over one minute just to take a corner. It disturbs the rhythm of the game."— Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton Manager
In the spirit of balance, we grudgingly acknowledge the rare occasions when Arsenal did not receive the benefit of the doubt. We've had to search very hard for these.
⚠️ Important Notice: The following incidents are presented with minimal fanfare, as is appropriate for events of such extreme rarity. The VARsenal editorial team required three weeks of therapy after compiling this section.
Michael Keane stamped on Kai Havertz's ankle in the penalty area. VAR reviewed it and upheld the no-penalty decision. Arsenal still won 2–0, but for approximately 4 minutes, justice was not served.
Myles Lewis-Skelly received a red card that was subsequently overturned on appeal. Arsenal were briefly disadvantaged for the duration of one match before the football gods corrected their mistake.
Kai Havertz was booked in the 94th minute for standing in the penalty area while Grimaldo had his hands around him. The reason remains unclear to this day. Even Arsenal fans couldn't explain it. A genuine mystery.
Arsenal lost 0-2 to Manchester City at Wembley. No VAR errors to blame. No diving to save them. No Arteta excuse that holds water. Nico O'Reilly — 21 years old, birthday the day before — scored twice. Saka was caught at the back post. Twice. The quadruple dream is dead. 2,059 days without a trophy.
In the entire 2024/25 Premier League season, the PGMOL officially admitted to precisely one VAR error that went against Arsenal. One. Out of approximately 47 controversial decisions. We frame this as a positive.
Arteta isn't the only one with things to say. The rival managers have been absolutely fuming all season. Here's a random selection of their finest moments.
Click a manager above to generate their reaction to Arsenal's latest controversy...
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Found a controversial Arsenal decision we've missed? Share it with the world. The evidence keeps mounting.
