Was Arsenal clearly denied a penalty by VAR?

Arsenal caused significant debate in the Premier League after VAR ruled out a penalty before Newcastle, stemming from Viktor Gyokeres falling in the penalty area due to contact with goalkeeper Nick Pope.

Arsenal was denied an early penalty in their Premier League match against Newcastle United on the evening of September 28, after an incident involving Nick Pope colliding with Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal’s striker charged towards goal following a careless back pass from a Newcastle defender, and after touching the ball, he was challenged by goalkeeper Nick Pope. Referee Jarred Gillett initially pointed to the penalty spot, having judged no advantage was gained. However, VAR advised him to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

The decision was later reversed after several replays, with Gillett announcing to the stadium: “After review, the Newcastle goalkeeper touched the ball first, so no foul occurred. The final decision is a dropped ball.”

His microphone also caught his words to Bukayo Saka, who reacted strongly: “The goalkeeper had control of the ball before the collision.”

Speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville admitted he was uncertain whether the incident warranted a penalty: “Pope rushed out and made contact, Gyokeres got past the keeper and touched the ball first. It looked like a clear penalty, with knee-to-knee contact.”

After reviewing the slow-motion footage, Neville added: “Gyokeres touched the ball, then there was contact from Pope and he went down. I’m honestly a bit torn.”

Meanwhile, former goalkeeper Joe Hart defended the referee’s decision on BBC Radio 5 Live: “If Pope touched the ball first, then it can’t be a penalty, and he did so before colliding with Gyokeres. When analyzed carefully, there’s no controversy.”

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