Jarred Gillett, who refereed Aston Villa’s win over Arsenal on Saturday, is a Liverpool fan.
As Arsenal dropped points at Villa Park, Liverpool were able to go top of the Premier League table, as they themselves secured a contentious victory over Crystal Palace.
Arsenal, meanwhile, will feel that they deserved to take something from their trip to the Midlands. The Gunners certainly created plenty of chances. However, their finishing was wayward. Club captain Martin Odegaard, in particular, was singled out by Arsenal fans for his wasteful performance.
It did seem, at one stage though, that the north London outfit had managed to snatch a late equaliser. As Kai Havertz and Aston Villa full-back Matty Cash tangled over a dropping ball at the far post, the Arsenal star was able to smuggle it over the line.
However, as the German wheeled away in celebration, Jarred Gillett blew his whistle and indicated that he had spotted a handball infraction. The resultant VAR check spent a great deal of time reviewing the incident. The ball initially struck Cash on the arm, and then as it fell through a tangle of limbs on its way to Havertz’s boot, it did brush the Arsenal man’s hand.
Liverpool benefit from Arsenal refereeing controversy
By the letter of the law, this meant that the goal should be chalked off. However, that rule itself has since come in for a good deal of criticism, as has the decision to cancel out Arsenal’s goal.
It would be fascinating to know, though, if VAR would have overturned Gillett’s decision had the on-field referee awarded the goal in the first place.
It is certainly worth questioning how Gillett was able to spot the handball on the pitch in real time. He was not particularly close to the incident, which was a jumble of flailing limbs anyway, and had his vision partially blocked by another player.
This was not the only questionable call that he made in the match, either. At one stage, Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah went down off the ball, claiming to have been struck by Aston Villa defender Diego Carlos. Replays showed that the Villa man made a definite move toward Nketiah and looked to have caught him. The same footage also revealed that Gillett was not looking in the direction of the incident at the time. The man with the whistle still felt confident in showing Carlos a yellow card. It might easily have been a red card for violent conduct, though.
After the match, Mikel Arteta refused to be drawn into criticism of the referees, having found himself in trouble for such comments recently. It was clear from the Spanish coach’s tone, as he repeated the phrase “clear and obvious,” that he felt his side were unfairly punished.
Goal have reported that Gillett is a boyhood Liverpool fan, and is contractually forbidden to officiate any of the Reds’ matches. This news, and the fact that the Merseyside outfit have just leapfrogged the Gunners in the Premier League table, will not endear the referee to Arsenal fans.
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