A Premier League panel ruled that VAR’s decision to allow Newcastle’s game-winning goal against Arsenal was correct, but two red cards went unnoticed.
The Independent Key Match Incidents Panel reviewed the VAR decision on Newcastle’s winning goal against Arsenal and determined that both the referee and the VAR were correct in awarding the goal. Mikel Arteta was left red-faced by the decision, which he described as “embarrassing” and “a disgrace” by VAR officials.
The panel decided 4-1 that there wasn’t enough evidence to call a foul on Gabriel because he made an action to play the ball before any contact. Despite this, the panel agreed unanimously that Kai Havertz should have been sent off in the 36th minute for a dangerous tackle on Sean Longstaff, calling it “a very dangerous challenge and the type of tackle that needs to be eradicated.”
A 3-2 decision, on the other hand, determined that Bruno Guimaraes’ arm to the head of Arsenal’s Jorginho should have resulted in a red card.
The Premier League’s Independent Key Match Incidents Panel comprises five members, including former players and coaches, with a goal to provide an independent assessment of decision-making during matches.
In another case, the body ruled that the decision to award Sheffield United a crucial injury-time penalty against Wolverhampton Wanderers was incorrect. The panel upheld all other refereeing decisions made over the weekend, including those in the Tottenham Hotspur vs. Chelsea game.
For several contentious decisions, VAR has continued to make headlines in both English and European football. Erik ten Hag is the latest manager to express his displeasure with this technology, believing that three decisions went against them in their 4-3 Champions League defeat to FC Copenhagen.
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