Arsenal's narrow victory at Goodison Park on Saturday was overshadowed by a major refereeing controversy, with pundit Shay Given left incredulous by the decision to deny Everton a late penalty.
Controversial Call Mars Gunners' Win
The pivotal moment arrived when Arsenal defender William Saliba challenged Everton striker Thierno Barry inside the box. As Saliba attempted to clear, he made contact with Barry, but on-field referee Sam Barrott waved play on. The incident was reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee, who swiftly upheld the original decision, stating the contact was "not sufficient for a penalty."
This verdict left former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given, speaking on BBC's Match of the Day, utterly baffled. "I think there's a lot more than significant contact in this," Given argued. "Barry gets the ball before Saliba and for me it's a clear penalty. I maybe don't understand the laws of the game any more but this is a clear penalty."
Given's Blunt Verdict on VAR
Given was particularly critical of the VAR's failure to instruct the referee to review the incident on the pitch-side monitor. He insisted the challenge, where "Saliba kicks through the back of his foot," had clear consequences.
"I don't think it's an actual difficult decision, I really don't", Given stated emphatically. "Sam Barrott, the referee, said no, but I do believe the VAR should have said to Sam 'At least come and have a look at this'. For me that's a penalty all day long."
Moyes' Frustration After Defeat
The denied spot-kick proved crucial, as Arsenal had taken the lead earlier from a penalty of their own. Everton defender Jake O'Brien was penalised for handball, allowing Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres to score what became the game's only goal.
The result saw Arsenal reclaim top spot in the Premier League, while Everton remained 10th. Toffees manager David Moyes was visibly frustrated post-match, hinting at a perceived injustice without directly criticising the officials to avoid a fine. "A lot of things didn't quite suit and go our way," Moyes told Sky Sports. "There were quite a few people going down and the referee was blowing up for them. It's a different football club here."
This was not Barry's only penalty appeal of the match, having seen another waved away following a challenge from Arsenal's Martin Zubimendi, compounding Everton's sense of grievance on a day where controversy took centre stage.
