Six red cards, VAR mistakes, Liverpool title help – Arsenal Premier League season referee review

Mikel Arteta is not willing to give up just yet but many of an Arsenal persuasion are. The weekend’s results left any hope of overtaking Liverpool at the top of the Premier League very unlikely indeed.

Already a tall ask due to Arne Slot’s relentless consistency, the loss of both Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz to season-ending injuries – as well as lengthy spells out for Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka – has left Arsenal 11 points behind. They do have a game in hand but know that even 12 straight wins might not be enough.

After defeat at home to West Ham on Saturday looked to close the door on any slight opening, the title retrospective has already started. Is it Mikel Arteta’s fault? Should Edu Gaspar be blamed for his summer transfer window? Did Jason Atyo do enough (or even anything) in January? Should Stan Kroenke shoulder some responsibility?

When the margins are as tight as they have been – Arsenal have only lost three league matches and not one by more than a single goal – it can be hard to truly decide. At the top level, luck also plays a part.

Many Arsenal fans have been left frustrated and downright angry at their treatment from officials. The list of grievances is long and refereeing controversy has been at the centre of plenty of matches.

The long-term resentment towards PGMOL, VAR, and the men in black has peaked at times this season. Here, football.london reviews all of the main decisions and points of contention which could have made all the difference in the title race.

Arsenal 1-1 Brighton – August 31

Declan Rice red card

This game will be remembered as the true dawn of ‘delaying the restart in play.’ It is an issue which has been the focus of Arsenal supporters ever since.

One-nil up and performing well against Brighton, Rice was shown a second yellow card after standing in front Joel Veltman as he was trying to take a free-kick in the defensive third. Rice nudged the ball away from Veltman and was then clattered into as a long ball was attempted.

Rice might have been fortunate to be on the field already after a high and strong tackle in the first half. Chris Kavanagh left him on, though, before making the decision to issue a second yellow here.

Joao Pedro had gotten away with a much more obvious act of kicking the ball away earlier in the game. He then went on to score the equaliser as Brighton came strongly back into the match, leaving Arsenal to drop points.

Manchester City 2-2 Arsenal – September 22

Leandro Trossard red card

Less than one month later, Arsenal were again caught up in the centre of ‘delaying the restart’ controversy. Coming at the end of a fiery but entertaining half of football at the Etihad Stadium, Leandro Trossard was dismissed for a second yellow card himself.

Trossard booted the ball away in anger just after an adjudged foul on Bernardo Silva. Although the kick came so soon after Michael Oliver’s whistle, it was seen as an attempt to waste time and the Belgian was sent on his way.

Arsenal nearly held out for a dramatic 2-1 win but were pegged back by John Stones’ late, late strike. Another draw and another coming with 10-men, something that would become the story of the season.

Erling Haaland also got away with throwing the ball at Gabriel Magalhaes’ head after Stones’ goal. That did not change the outcome of the match, though, as it came with only seconds left. Jeremy Doku had angered supporters by appearing to kcik the ball away earlier in the first half, which went unpunished.

Bournemouth 2-0 Arsenal – October 19

William Saliba red card

Another three weeks on and Arsenal lose this time. The two calls in this match came either side of the break. Firstly, after being initially awarded a yellow card for bringing down Evanilson just outside the centre circle, Saliba was sent off after a VAR review.

Rob Jones went to the pitchside monitor after being referred by those at Stockley Park. He deemed it to have been the denial of a clear goalscoring opportunity. Although Evanilson still had a way to go to reach David Raya, he was undoubtedly in the clear.

Evanilson penalty

One-nil at this stage after Cyrus Christie’s opener, things got worse for Arsenal when Evanlison was again fouled, this time by Raya himself. Brought down inside the Arsenal area after latching onto a pass, a penalty was given. There isn’t much to complain about here but it once more kept up Arsenal’s record of failing to win when they had a man sent off.

Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool – October 27

Virgil van Dijk stamp

How big this result and some of the decisions might look right now if the picture at the top was a bit closer. As an early season title showdown, there was still plenty to digest.

Kai Havertz and Van Dijk were involved in the first flashpoint. Competing for a ball in the air, the Liverpool defender was angered by Havertz’s elbow contacting his head and appeared to kick out not once but twice.

The second of these saw his left boot connect firmly with Havertz’s leg in an act of retaliation. On another day it could easily have been given as a red card but VAR for violent conduct but Anthony Taylor chose only to warn Van Dijk and no review was suggested.

Gabriel Jesus disallowed goal

This really is a potential game-changer. In the final moments of action, Jesus had the ball in the Liverpool net but Taylor’s whistle had already gone in the build-up. VAR cannot retrospectively get involved here as play was called to a halt before the goal.

Watching the action back and there is disagreement over whether Jakub Kiwior fouled Dominik Szobozslai as he jumped to try and win possession. That is what Taylor blew up for but within seconds, Havertz latched onto the free ball, controlling it and then dinking a shot onto the post where Jesus tapped home.

By this time Liverpool’s defenders had stopped completely, although Trent Alexander-Arnold had not realised. Havertz may well have been deemed to have used his arm to bring the ball down anyway, and that is if a foul on Alexander-Arnold was not given later on in the move, but replays certainly split opinion.

Arsenal 0-0 Everton – December 14

Thomas Partey penalty

Six weeks went by before the next real moment of contention. Halted by an away draw to Fulham one week prior, Arsenal knew they had little room for error and were frustrated by Sean Dyche’s men here.

Jordan Pickford made several big saves before Partey ended up on the floor after a coming together with Everton’s Vitaly Mykolenko. His touch took him into the Everton box and a lunge was made to get there first by the defender. Appeals were made but again, no review was taken by VAR.

Craig Pawson was not a popular man in north London afterwards. Some would say this is a ‘you’ve seen them given’ incident but whether VAR is in position to overturn those is another matter. A very frustrating day overall for Arsenal.

Brighton 1-1 Arsenal – January 4

Joao Pedro penalty

Arsenal and Brighton were always going to bring controversy. This match did not disappoint. After a comfortable first half with a lead generated through Ethan Nwaneri’s first league goal, things changed.

Brighton roared back and were awarded a penalty after Saliba was judged to have fouled Pedro in the area. Initially it seemed to be a coming together of heads but Taylor saw things differently. He believed Saliba was late to try and win the ball in the air after Pedro got the first contact.

Despite a head injury, Pedro was up to take the spot-kick shortly after, converting to make it 1-1. More dropped points and more unique situations going against Arsenal.

Gabriel Magalhaes penalty

Arsenal’s frustration was even more pronounced after they had been denied a penalty earlier on in the game. Gabriel Magalhaes was making a play to try and steam into the middle of the box from a corner but Matt O’Riley ended up blocking his path and both players fell to the floor.

Taylor had a clear view and did not determine it to be worthy of a penalty. football.london Arsenal correspondent Tom Canton believed that given what would go on to be given, the threshold was overstepped here as well.

Wolves 0-1 Arsenal – January 25

Myles Lewis-Skelly red card

For the first and only time in this list, Arsenal actually go on to win a game in which they ended with ten men. However, they came close to slipping further behind and the decision was eventually overturned, so bad feelings festered again.

It has been the case for several of the calls in this list but Lewis-Skelly’s first half red card, again, right on the stroke of the break, has been hotly debated. It has been labelled the worst call ever by some.

As he tripped up Matt Doherty’s attempt to lead a counter-attack for Wolves following an Arsenal corner, Oliver was quick to send him for an early bath instead. Arsenal players surrounded the official and the club was later fined for their actions.

Lewis-Skelly did connect with Doherty’s ankle but after a panel looked at the tackle it was not seen as being enough to warrant a red card. Doherty’s distance to goal was not a factor.

Arsenal 0-1 West Ham – February 22

Lewis-Skelly red card vs West Ham

Unfortunately for the teenager he has less of an argument here. Similar to Saliba’s red card against Bournemouth, as he hauled down Mohammed Kudus just inside the Arsenal defensive half, Pawson felt there was a denial of a goalscoring opportunity.

Raya was a long way from his line and is actually the closest defender at the time of the foul, whilst Saliba is across the other side of the pitch and not able to get back. Kudus did have a lot to do but would have been in a one-on-one and with an empty goal, albeit from distance.

The one area that can be disputed is whether Kudus had fouled Lewis-Skelly in the build-up. He powered through the Englishman in an attempt to get the ball initially, a challenge that Pawson and VAR felt was fair but certainly comes close to overstepping the line.