Every Arsenal VAR controversy this season – including one the Premier League admits was wrong

Arsenal have been the subject of several high-profile VAR decisions in the early weeks of the new campaign

Arsenal have been at the centre of several VAR controversies at the start of the new season. The Gunners are off to a perfect start in their Premier League title defence, winning four out of four, but have also faced several huge officiating calls.

Mikel Arteta's side kicked off the league season with an emphatic victory over Coventry City, which passed without incident. However, there was a contentious decision made in Arsenal's narrow win over Aston Villa last month.

The Gunners were denied a late penalty at Villa Park, which would have provided the reigning champions with an opportunity to double their advantage. Villa full-back Ian Maatsen, who had already been booked, fouled Bruno Guimaraes in the area but referee Jarred Gillett denied Arsenal’s appeals.

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VAR official James Bell chose to stand by the referee’s decision but the Key Match Incident (KMI) panel subsequently admitted that it was a mistake. A KMI panel verdict published on the Premier League’s website read: "The panel felt that a penalty should have been awarded on-field for Maatsen’s reckless challenge on Guimaraes. Clear contact was made on the attacker’s standing leg and Maatsen made no contact with the ball."

The summary continued: "They also felt that VAR should have intervened as the non-penalty awarded was a clear and obvious error. The panel felt that the challenge was reckless and therefore a second caution should have been awarded."

In their next game, an impressive victory over Chelsea was partly overshadowed by a situation involving centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes.

Riccardo Calafiori saw his equaliser ruled out after ending a sequence of Arsenal chances. VAR official Darren England disallowed his goal as the ball had ricocheted off Ezri Konsa, who was standing in an offside position, shortly before Calafiori’s finish.

In a social media post, the Premier League Match Centre explained the decision: "#ARSCHE – 12’ VAR OVERTURN VAR checked the referee’s call of goal – and determined that Konsa was in an offside position in the build-up and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

The decision initially confused Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville, who thought the goal had been disallowed due to Kai Havertz obstructing Chelsea goalkeeper Martinez's view from an offside position. However, it ultimately proved to be the correct call.

"I disagree with it," Neville initially said on commentary. "I mean, look, there's no doubt that he's in an offside position, but, for me, Emi Martinez has a clear chance to save it.

"I don't think he (Havertz) is interfering with him. If he did [get a touch, Konsa] that would bring him into play. So there, now, there’s no interference there, and Konsa is offside at that point. Oh, he touches it. Correction – apologies to VAR and ProRef!"

During the same match, Arsenal benefited from a decision not to act on an incident involving Gabriel Magalhaes and Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez. A goalmouth scramble saw the Brazilian defender appear to kick Martinez in the head after the shot-stopper had claimed the ball. However, former referee Dermot Gallagher agreed with the decision not to take further action.

"They are all on the floor, there's a big tangle. He goes to kick the ball and I think he gets the ball," Gallagher said. "That's why it pops out of Martinez's hands. He gets the ball and his foot goes up to catch Martinez in the head."

A penalty given in Arsenal's recent triumph over Sunderland sparked fury among the away contingent, with Gunners boss Arteta subsequently making his feelings clear about the incident.

Arteta slammed the decision to award Sunderland a penalty during Arsenal’s 2-0 win. David Raya saved Enzo Le Fee’s spot kick after Konsa was adjudged to have fouled Dan Ballard, though the Gunners boss disagreed with the officiating team’s ruling.

After the match, Arteta told TNT Sports: "It is a huge win but it could have been something different. You know in what way, in the way that could have changed the game.

"Yeah. I'm so upset, it is unacceptable at this level, unacceptable. It can change the course of the season. I've seen it 10 times to make sure and I said, 'it is not possible it is penalty.' It is a judo roll. That's what it is. This cannot happen. In my view. I have been involved in football for 27/28 years. It's not a penalty in any game, in any game, in any context in any league."