Two former Premier League chief referees have weighed in on the controversial decision to overturn an Arsenal penalty during the Champions League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid. The match ended 1-1 at the Estadio Metropolitano, with both goals coming from the penalty spot.
Arsenal took the lead through Viktor Gyokeres' spot-kick, but Julian Alvarez equalised for the hosts after Ben White was adjudged to have handled a Marcos Llorente volley. Late in the second half, the Gunners were denied a penalty when Eberechi Eze went down under minimal contact from David Hancko.
Speaking to Sky Sports, former official Dermot Gallagher said VAR Dennis Higler "looks at it too much". Gallagher argued that the on-field referee's original decision to award a penalty should have stood, as there was not enough evidence to overturn it. "One angle it looks like he catches him on the top of the foot. The defender definitely doesn't get the ball. That is all in Eze's favour," Gallagher explained.
Former chief referee Keith Hackett echoed this view, telling Football Insider that VAR "should not have intervened" as the decision did not meet the threshold of a clear and obvious error. Hackett said he was surprised the referee changed his mind after reviewing the monitor, calling the overturn "incorrect".
