Controversial Refereeing Decisions in Arsenal’s Narrow Victory Over Everton

According to a recent report from the BBC, league leaders Arsenal were fortunate not to concede a penalty during their narrow 1-0 victory over Everton earlier in December.

The match featured a reunion between Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Everton manager David Moyes, who had coached Arteta during his playing career. Arsenal took the lead when Viktor Gyokeres successfully converted a penalty after Jake O’Brien was penalized for handling the ball in the area.

However, Everton believed they deserved a penalty of their own when a collision occurred between defenders William Saliba and Nathaniel Barry as the game approached the hour mark. Barry managed to reach the ball before Saliba but was sent to the ground after Saliba inadvertently kicked his boot. Despite the protests, referee Sam Barrott dismissed Everton’s claims, and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) upheld the on-field decision.

The Premier League Match Centre stated, “The referee’s decision of no penalty for Everton was checked and confirmed by VAR, which deemed that the contact from Saliba on Barry was insufficient for a penalty.” Moyes expressed his frustration, noting, “They come up with new words for every decision, don’t they?”

In a subsequent review by the KMI panel, the decision not to award a penalty to Everton was deemed incorrect by a 3-2 vote. Additionally, it was voted 3-2 that VAR official Michael Salisbury should have recommended that Barrott review the incident on the monitor.

The BBC elaborated that each KMI panel consists of five members: three former players or coaches, along with one representative each from the Premier League and Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).

Arsenal’s victory allowed them to secure all three points at Hill Dickinson Stadium, temporarily placing them two points ahead of title contenders Manchester City. Currently, Arsenal is five points clear of City following a 4-1 win over Aston Villa, although Pep Guardiola’s side has a game in hand against Sunderland on New Year’s Day.

Moyes expressed his anger towards both the referee and VAR post-match, stating, “I’d like to [discuss the conversation with the referee], but I’d probably be fined. We need a way to openly discuss refereeing decisions or don’t ask me. A lot of things didn’t suit us; the referee appeared to favor calls for others. We expect the referees to uphold the same standards as our club’s tough style of play.”

Arteta, however, refrained from commenting on Saliba’s challenge on Barry, explaining in his post-match press conference, “I know they checked it with VAR; I haven’t reviewed the footage of either incident, so I cannot provide my opinion. They made their decision, and in many situations in the box, we must move forward.”

Following their win against Aston Villa, Arsenal will return to league action this Saturday against Bournemouth, while Everton is set to host Brentford the following day. Both Saliba and Barry played key roles in their respective teams’ midweek victories—Saliba completing the full 90 minutes against Villa, and Barry scoring in Everton’s 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest.