Arsenal are today seeking an explanation from refereeing body Pro Ref over their set-piece officiating in their win over Sunderland, as the fallout from the controversial call in the Premier League over the weekend grows.
United had already accepted a professional referee’s apology for a mistake in the 1-0 loss to Manchester City, with the video assistant referee stepping in and awarding a goal to Erling Haaland, whose pass from Josko Gvaldiol was turned aside by Patrick Dolgu’s boot. Enzo Fernandez’s diving header was in an offside position, but VAR deemed it had no impact on the game.
“It has been established that Enzo Fernandez did not kick the ball and therefore any offside call is subjective,” the referee said in a statement. “On this occasion, however, VAR failed to appreciate the possible impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.
“We have been in touch with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we believe was an error of judgement. The incident will be reviewed.”
It remains to be seen whether Enzo Maresca’s side’s 1-0 win will have a meaningful impact on other clubs’ seasons. However, City’s rivalry with Arsenal in the spring is a possibility, and while the Gunners may be disappointed to see a surprise win for last season’s second-placed side (with just 10 players), they will be equally focused on the proceedings at the Stadium of Light.
Sunderland were awarded a penalty on Saturday night after Ezri Konsa dragged Daniel Ballard to the ground. Replays suggested Ballard may have initiated contact, grabbing the defender’s arms in what Mikel Arteta called a “judo hold”. The VAR official backed John Brooks’ on-the-spot assessment that Konsa “completely surrounded him in the wrong direction at the near post”.
After the game, an emotional Arteta said the decision was “unacceptable at this level”. He added that such mistakes “can change the course of the season and could cost you the title”. Ultimately, that didn’t happen on Saturday night, with David Raya making an excellent save from Enzo Le Fee before Bruno Guimaraes scored the opening goal at the other end.
Regardless, it is understood Arsenal are seeking explanations from professional referees for both specific decisions and the officiating of set-pieces more generally. The issue came into focus at the start of the season, with officials increasingly emphasizing “unfootballing behavior” during set pieces.
If the penalty against Arsenal was more of a matter of debate, City’s goal appeared to be a more straightforward error, with Lisandro Martinez describing it as an “unjust” attempt to cover up the threats of Fernandes and Haaland.
“At this level, it’s not something you can’t and shouldn’t miss,” CBS Sports rules expert Christina Unkel said of the decision. “To interfere with the play, it was genuine contact… but they missed a second key interference on their opponent. It was a simple, obvious interference.”
“When you break it down…it boils down to trying to understand what’s wrong with the team and how to fix it, not just for this team but for every refereeing team in the group. Back to the basics. How do we have VAR, assistant VAR and support VAR without thinking about interfering with the opponent.
“This is a time and a moment where you’re not in a hurry. You have a time and a moment to take a little more time and the ball is behind the net. There’s not as much pressure to make a decision quickly enough that you don’t go through with the proper protocols.
“Why did they have no confidence and/or miss this step entirely? If so, how do we ensure we get back to protocol so that we can recommend it down. If they correctly recommend Michael Oliver for him to make the final decision on the subjective match, then that decision will be made by Michael Oliver.”