Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has claimed that Arsenal should have been awarded a penalty during their 1-0 win over Leicester City on Saturday afternoon.
Bukayo Saka called for a spot-kick to be given after Harry Souttar appeared to haul him down in the box but referee Craig Pawson waived play on, with VAR deciding that it was not a clear and obvious error from the on-field official. However, Gallagher thinks the Gunners were unlucky to not be awarded the decision.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "I think it's a foul Rob. I know Souttar will say he slips but I think, although he slips, he still grabs him (Saka).
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"I think he takes him down and I think he impacts on him. I know the ball was going behind him but for me, it's a penalty."
Arsenal attacker Leandro Trossard had also seen his goal disallowed by Pawson after VAR urged the referee to go and look at the on-field monitor. Ben White was adjudged to have obstructed Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward before the ball had bounced to Trossard and the goal was eventually chalked off, a decision that Gallagher has argued was the correct one.
He added: “This is very interesting because when I saw it Saturday I didn’t see this angle, I just thought it was a mispunch. When you see this, he’s clearly got his arm locked in, which massively impacts him [Ward] trying to clear that ball.
“It’s got to be a clear and obvious error because the referee can’t see it. Without Ben White locking his arm in, he would’ve got much more purchase on that ball and cleared it, so it has to be given.
“But an amazing spot by the VAR because when you see it, I don’t know what made the VAR look for that because he just spotted it. I wouldn’t have thought of that in the game.”
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