VAR Under Fire After Arsenal Denied Clear Penalty in Hull Win
Arsenal came through a tricky afternoon at the Emirates with a 1-0 win over Hull City, but the main talking point afterwards was a VAR decision that denied the Gunners what many believe was a clear-cut penalty.
The Evening Standard reports that Arsenal were on top for much of the first half but were denied a spot kick after a "very controversial VAR intervention" (Evening Standard), with the outlet also explaining that confusion over the call left fans bemused at the Emirates (Evening Standard). The incident centred on Kai Havertz, who the Standard says had his penalty shout ruled out despite being flagged offside (Evening Standard).
TalkSPORT adds detail on the build-up, reporting that Havertz had his shirt pulled by Hull defender Nobel Mendy as he looked to break clear late in the game, with pundit Martin Keown blasting the "farcical" nature of the decision and a rules expert suggesting the penalty should have stood (talkSPORT). Football.London agrees with that assessment, stating plainly that Arsenal were "wrongly denied" a penalty in the narrow win (Football.London).
Sky Sports brings further weight to the argument, noting that former referee Mike Dean has admitted Arsenal should have been awarded the penalty and explaining why he felt VAR got the call wrong (Sky Sports). The Evening Standard also covers the fan reaction, describing supporters as feeling "robbed" by the officiating on the day (Evening Standard).
Elsewhere, the Evening Standard notes that William Saliba was absent from the matchday squad against Hull despite returning from injury, pointing out that Champions League squads allow for more substitutes than is permitted in the Premier League as part of the explanation for his omission (Evening Standard).
Taken together, the reports paint a picture of frustration among Arsenal fans and pundits alike, with pundits and former officials largely united in the view that the Gunners were hard done by. The win keeps things moving in the right direction, but the VAR controversy looks set to rumble on in the coverage for some time yet.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
