There were a number of controversial refereeing decisions in Arsenal’s victory over Manchester United, and it has been claimed that the visitors should have had a penalty late on.
Rasmus Hojlund made his debut for Man United, coming off the bench to engage in a fascinating physical battle with defender Gabriel Magalhaes, and there was a moment where the Brazilian appeared to bring the striker down in the box.
Erik ten Hag claimed that his side should have been awarded a penalty by referee Anthony Taylor, but this claim has now been refuted by former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher.
Speaking on Sky Sports News, Gallagher claimed that whilst there is contact between the two players, it would have been a shock if it was deemed worthy of a foul from Gabriel.
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“There is physical contact, but I think the defender is just too strong,” he stated.
“I think he pushes the ball too far and the defender just holds his ground, he doesn’t do anything wrong.
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“We see this all the time and I’d have been stunned if Anthony Taylor had given a penalty for it.”
The correct decision
Ten Hag’s comments after the game were laced with bitterness following his side’s defeat, and the correct decision was made over this penalty claim.
Hojlund locks Gabriel’s arm before falling to the ground, and whilst Gabriel makes no contact with the ball, this tussle would not have been a foul anywhere else on the pitch.
Gabriel dealt with the threat of Hojlund superbly, with the striker looking impressive on his debut, as they faced each other 1v1 on a number of occasions. Whilst Hojlund did get the better of Gabriel at one point, Gabriel’s defensive awareness meant that he prevented chances being created by the forward’s impact.
Gabriel had returned to the team after three games on the bench, and was one of Arsenal’s best players in the victory over United.