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Arsenal were denied a winning goal vs Aston Villa last month because of a Kai Havertz handball(Image: GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

In a review of VAR processes between game weeks 21 and 25, the Premier League have felt the need to clarify a major decision that caused Arsenal to drop points.

Mikel Arteta's side are currently eight points behind Liverpool in a Premier League title race that is rapidly intensifying.

The Reds will be well ware that every point played for is sacred as they appear to be going toe-to-toe with the runners-up of the previous two seasons - Arsenal - for the 2024/25 title.



Unai Emery's team fought back to 2-2 to upset the party, which was further dampened by a VAR decision to rule out a Mikel Merino strike - which was deflected off Kai Havertz's arm - for handball.

Premier League Match Centre on X posted afterwards: "The Arsenal goal was awarded on-field.

The VAR established that the ball hit Havertz's arm immediately before entering the goal and recommended that the goal was disallowed."

Had Slot's men dropped two points vs the Bees and Arteta's won their match that day, followed by both achieving the exact same results afterwards as have happened in reality, the gap would now stand at four points.

And now in an entire review of the last month, the Premier League have published further clarification to settle the matter as correct.

It read: "In Arsenal’s clash with Aston Villa during Match Round 22, a Mikel Merino shot deflected off Kai Havertz and went into the goal," they explain.

"The on-field decision was goal, but during the VAR check, it was established that the final touch was off Havertz’s right arm, and the goal was disallowed for handball.

"IFAB, the game’s lawmakers, clarify that it is an offence for a player to score a goal 'directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental'.

As there was clear factual evidence that the ball hit Havertz’s arm on its way into the net, the VAR was able to recommend that the goal be disallowed without the need for the referee to review at the pitch side monitor."

With other similar incidents to draw comparison, it was added: "During Nottingham Forest’s match with Brighton & Hove Albion in Match Round 24, there were calls for Neco Williams’ goal to be ruled out for a potential handball offence by his teammate, Ibrahim Sangare, in the build-up.

"The goal scorer is always penalised for an accidental handball, but the interpretation of the handball law differs if the potential offence is by a teammate prior to the goal being scored, with the officials having to decide whether it was a deliberate action."

"In this instance, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh and Sangare both fell to the floor after challenging for the ball, which subsequently bounced off the arm of Sangare and rolled into the path of Williams, who scored.

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"The referee deemed that the handball was accidental, with Sangare’s arms in a justifiable position to break his fall and awarded the goal.

The replays confirmed the accidental handball and therefore there was no VAR intervention."

At the end of their update, the Premier League confirm that their Key Match Incident (KMI) panel - introduced in the 2022/23 season to independently review referee calls - have found statistical improvement in VAR decisions.

Deeming that there have been 13 total mistakes made after VAR reviews at this stage of the season, this is a decrease from the 24 by the same point of the 2023/24 campaign.


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