Ola Aina’s ‘handball’ during the Arsenal v Nottingham Forest tie has caused quite the stir and a former PGMOL chief and referee has now called for drastic action.
Aina seemingly got away with one as he appeared to handle the ball and while opinion was split in the main, some – including Mikel Arteta – have suggested it was a clear penalty.
Of course, Mark Clattenburg exclusively told Arsenal Insider that it was the correct call at the time.
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However, one man who is becoming well known for being vocal on big refereeing decisions is former chief Keith Hackett.
And according to Hackett, there needs to be some punishment for the referees in charge of VAR.
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Keith Hackett has made a bit of a name for himself in the modern game with his analysis on refereeing decisions.
And on the Aina incident this weekend, Hackett has claimed Arsenal were indeed harshly treated.
“The player has deliberately moved his hand towards the ball and committed a handling offence,” Hackett said speaking on Football Insider’s Final Whistle show.
“Therefore, a penalty kick should have been awarded. You should regard the shoulder as part of the body, just like the foot. This is not a deflection off the body, but a deliberate play. A penalty should have been awarded.
Speaking then directly about England and the VAR officials in general, Hackett called for them to be dropped from fixtures if they make mistakes.
“It’s a subjective call. You can see a cusping of the arm towards the ball. Arsenal get a rough ride. I think they (VAR) are confused about ‘clear and obvious’.
“There’s a relationship issue between officials, with some new guys on the block. You should be able to analyse a VAR performance, and if they don’t meet a standard, and you make a mistake, sorry, you’re going to spend next weekend sat on your hands, not at Stockley Park.”
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Arsenal simply cannot feel sorry for themselves
This is one of those decisions that one week gets given and then on another week doesn’t.
In fairness, that is the frustration in terms of the consistency of these decisions and you can see why Arsenal and Arteta felt aggrieved.
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However, over the course of a season these things will normally level out and right now, there is too much going on at Arsenal that is positive for them to let this bother them.
They are top by seven points, flying in the Champions League and looking as solid as ever at the back with Saliba and Gabriel.
Yes, it could have given them a big three points at the City Ground but they have to put it behind them now and simply move on.
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