Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has given his verdict on Arsenal’s penalty shout against Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal recorded rare consecutive 0-0 draws in the Premier League with the stalemate at the City Ground.
The scoreline could’ve been different had the Gunners scored from the penalty spot, as late into the second half, there was a VAR check for handball.
Ola Aina appeared to handle the ball, but nothing was given to Mikel Arteta’s outrage.
Be honest. Did Arsenal deserve a penalty for Ola Aina’s handball?
Dermot Gallagher shares his verdict on Arsenal penalty incident vs Nottingham Forest after Ola Aina handball
Aina has since taunted Arsenal about the dismissed penalty, which wouldn’t have sat right with Arteta, who was furious with the decision.
While the Arsenal manager had a strong opinion on the incident, aside from fans, he’s alone in his protest.
Mark Clattenburg said it wasn’t a penalty when speaking to Arsenal Insider, which is the same view as fellow former ref Dermot Gallagher.
On Sky Sports’ Ref Watch segment, Gallagher issued a ‘100 per cent’ conclusion on the matter.
“100 per cent not a penalty. First of all, it comes off his shoulder. Elliot Anderson, his colleague, knocks into him, which pushes him into the ball. His arm is in a natural position, and it strikes his arm off his shoulder.”
Gallagher added, “I don’t think there’s much to argue about, to be honest.”
Sean Dyche was furious that there was even a penalty check, with the decision certainly splitting opinion across the two dugouts.
The dust has settled, and Arteta will make peace with that, particularly as the boss has far more serious issues to tend to.
The outrage about the penalty call says a lot about Arsenal’s performance
Seeing a late handball shout when you’re desperate to win the game to go nine points clear at the top of the Premier League, it’s no surprise that Arteta wanted a spot-kick.
Ultimately, the outrage about the penalty comes because Arsenal didn’t have enough to win the game in another way.
Who was Arsenal’s most disappointing player vs Nottingham Forest?
Arsenal’s attack was so poor against Forest, having plenty of opportunities to score and missing them all.
The bigger issue is that the Gunners felt so reliant on having a penalty awarded, as if the chances prior had been taken, the calls for the spot-kick would be far quieter.
As stated, the dust has settled, and Arsenal must move on, hopefully with more ammunition in attack.
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