Every refereeing decision becomes magnified during a Premier League title race.
When margins between teams are so small, one wrong call can completely change the direction of the season.
That is exactly why Arsenal supporters will be furious after the latest admission from the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel.
A mistake made during Manchester City’s game against Everton has now officially been acknowledged, and it directly impacted the title race.
🏆 TRUE or FALSE: Arsenal WILL win the Premier League title after Man City’s draw vs Everton…
Premier League Key Match Incidents Panel admit mistake that hurt Arsenal and helped Manchester City
Manchester City dropped points against Everton in a game that could prove crucial in the title race.
However, according to the Premier League’s own review panel, things should actually have been even worse for Pep Guardiola’s side.
During a corner, Bernardo Silva was involved in an incident inside the penalty area that Everton believed should have resulted in a penalty.
The referee ignored the appeals, and VAR also decided not to intervene.
City eventually escaped with a draw and picked up a point that could prove hugely important by the end of the season.
Now, the Premier League Key Match Incidents Panel has admitted the officials got the decision wrong.
The panel stated, as per BBC Sport: “There is a clear, sustained holding offence which continues as the corner is taken and the ball comes into play.”
Had the correct decision been made and Everton converted the penalty, Manchester City could have lost the game entirely.
Instead, they walked away with a point.
That means the gap at the top is now smaller than it arguably should have been.
👀 Fill in the blank: Arsenal are taking _ points from the final two Premier League matches…
Mikel Arteta should be furious because Arsenal are now under more pressure
Mikel Arteta and everyone else have repeatedly spoken about the importance of consistency in officiating throughout the season.
From Arsenal’s perspective, this latest admission is incredibly frustrating because the damage cannot be undone.
Manchester City already benefited from the mistake by taking a point from the match.
If Everton had been awarded the penalty they deserved and gone on to win, Arsenal would now have a three-point cushion at the top of the table instead.
That extra breathing room could have made a massive difference psychologically heading into the final games of the season.
Instead, Arsenal remain under pressure because of an error the Premier League itself has now admitted should never have happened.
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