Arsenal supporters reacted with fury after VAR denied them a penalty during their 1-0 win over Hull City at the Emirates Stadium, with the decision later shown to be incorrect.
Kai Havertz went down under a challenge from Hull centre-back Nobel Mendy, who was judged to have pulled the Arsenal forward's shirt inside the 18-yard box. Referee Farai Hallam was advised by the video assistant referee to review the incident on the pitchside monitor, and upon review he acknowledged that a foul had been committed.
Offside ruling overrules penalty
The home crowd initially cheered the acknowledgement, but their celebrations were cut short when Hallam ruled that Havertz had been in an offside position when he was fouled. As a result, a free kick was awarded to the visitors instead of a penalty to the Premier League champions.
The decision was in fact wrong, as an offside only takes precedence over a penalty claim when the player in the offside position is looking to play the ball. In Havertz's case, he was not, and Mendy escaped without conceding a spot kick.
Fan reaction and title race impact
The incident left Arsenal players, staff and supporters furious, leading to angry posts on social media. One fan said his side were "robbed", while another called for "greater consistency" in refereeing across the English football pyramid. Another account criticised the top flight, saying the organisation needed to "get their act together".
The victory moved Arsenal six points clear at the top of the table after 10 games, and they received an additional boost in the title race after Manchester City were beaten 3-1 by Nottingham Forest.
