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Referee and VAR frustrate Arsenal again
Arsenal were denied victory against Everton by another contentious refereeing decision, as Darren England and Stuart Attwell again drew the club’s ire.
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Arsenal dropped more points in the Premier League following yet another infuriating display from PGMOL officials, despite taking a deserved first-half lead through Leandro Trossard.
The performance of referee Darren England and VAR Stuart Attwell once again left Mikel Arteta’s side with a sense of injustice, and further complaints about the consistency and integrity of officiating in key moments.
With Real Madrid looming in the Champions League, Arteta rotated his squad. Martin Ødegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka were all named on the bench. Ben White returned to the starting XI despite a knee issue that had ruled him out against Fulham, while Jurrien Timber, also a fitness doubt after a setback in that same match, remained among the substitutes.
It was Arsenal who struck first, capitalising on a mistake by Idrissa Gueye in the 34th minute. The midfielder’s error allowed Raheem Sterling to surge forward before releasing Trossard. The Belgian made no mistake, cutting into the area and dispatching a precise left-footed finish into the far corner. 1-0.
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At the break, Arteta introduced Martinelli and Saka, replacing Sterling and Ethan Nwaneri. The changes should have consolidated control, but instead, Everton were gifted a route back into the match – courtesy of another baffling penalty decision.
A long ball into Arsenal territory saw Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jack Harrison jostle for position well outside the penalty area. Harrison continued his run, then tumbled inside the box under minimal, if any, contact. Referee England, somehow seeing a foul, pointed to the spot.
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It wasn’t even a foul – and the incident appeared entirely outside the area – but the penalty stood. Making matters worse, England has prior history with Lewis-Skelly, having acted as the VAR who failed to overturn the teenager’s egregious red card against Wolves earlier in the season, a decision so bad it was later reversed on appeal within 45 minutes.
On VAR duty this time was Stuart Attwell, a name familiar to Arsenal fans for all the wrong reasons. Unsurprisingly, he saw no issue with England’s call, and the goal stood.
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The match itself lacked quality, but Arsenal were clearly the superior side. Everton offered next to nothing and didn’t even appeal for the penalty they were inexplicably awarded.
It was a match Arsenal deserved to win, and one they would have, were it not for another controversial and damaging officiating error.
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