Mikel Arteta said Arsenal were denied a “very clear penalty” after Ola Aina was not punished for handball during the draw with Nottingham Forest.
The incident came as Aina and Elliot Anderson attempted to keep the ball in play near the byline, with the ball striking the Forest defender’s arm in the process as he seemed to move his arm towards it.
The Premier League Match Centre later confirmed on X that VAR Darren England had deemed that “the ball was played off Aina’s shoulder first, while his arm was also in a natural position”. It was not.
Arteta said: “We created four big, big, big chances , Gabriel Martinelli an open goal, Declan Rice a tap-in, Mikel (Merino) and the header from Bukayo (Saka) , and on top of that, obviously a very clear penalty in the box that hasn’t been given.
“I’ve just seen the replays, I think it’s a clear intention to clear the ball inside and it’s a clear penalty so I don’t understand why it’s not been given.”
He disputed the explanation given for the decision, adding: “They are right: it hits the shoulder, and then he takes the ball with his hand.
“The explanation is not right. The order is OK but the timing and the intention of the player is very clear.”
The result left Arsenal seven points clear at the top, rather than nine, after second-placed Manchester City were beaten by Manchester United.
Aston Villa face Everton today with the chance to go second, four points behind Arsenal, while Forest’s point leaves them five points above relegation rivals West Ham.
Forest manager Sean Dyche said football should be “cancelled” if such incidents are penalised as handball but you can guarantee that his opinion would be completely different had it been in the Arsenal box. “I think if these start to get given, we’ve all got to leave it,” Dyche said. “I think that’s ridiculous. We’ve got to be careful with those.
“You may as well cancel football if you’re going to give that. The rules have to be careful.
“You know what they should be looking at, people feigning injury. That’s the new diving.
“I wouldn’t worry about the handballs. Cancel football if that handball is given.”