Arsenal Lunchtime Round-Up, Monday 9th November 2026: VAR Under Fire After Havertz Penalty Shout in Hull Win
There's plenty of chatter today about the officiating in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Hull City, with Sky Sports' Ref Watch panel questioning whether VAR got it wrong by not awarding a penalty for a Kai Havertz appeal (Sky Sports). Football.London's referee review was just as critical, pointing to the Havertz incident as a major talking point in what was labelled a tough afternoon for Michael Oliver and his officials (Football.London). It was far from a convincing display from Mikel Arteta's side, but the three points were banked all the same (Football.London).
On the women's side, it was a much more comfortable story up on Merseyside, with Alessia Russo grabbing a double to help seal a victory at Anfield (Arsenal.com). Arsenal.com have put together a 26-photo gallery capturing the celebrations from that away success (Arsenal.com).
Elsewhere, Brighton's Pascal Gross has been having his say on the Premier League title race, with Football.London noting the Seagulls sit five points behind leaders Arsenal despite having beaten them 3-0 at the Amex back in September (Football.London). It's a reminder that even sides below Arsenal in the table feel they have a say in how the title race could unfold (Football.London).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
