The Premier League has issued a statement on the decision to disallow Kai Havertz‘s potential last-gasp winner in Arsenal‘s clash with Aston Villa. The goal, which had made it 3-2 for the Gunners in the dying minutes, was chalked off after VAR intervention.
Initially granted on-field, the goal was subject to a review that concluded the ball struck Havertz’s arm before finding the net. Consequently, Arsenal had to settle for a point despite having been two goals to the good.
The official statement from the Premier League Match Centre account read: “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.”
During the tense aftermath, with Havertz insisting that the ball contacted his midsection, Pat Nevin commented on BBC Radio 5 Live: “I think it might have been his hand. There’s no point complaining – you are not allowed to score with your hand.”
Arsenal had hoped to narrow their deficit to Liverpool but were held back, despite the efforts of Gabriel Martinelli, Havertz and the £27.4million summer signing Mikel Merino, whose blast toward goal deflected off Havertz past keeper Emi Martinez.
Post-match, Ollie Watkins said to Sky Sports: “That’s what VAR is there for,” while Youri Tielemans separately remarked: “Handball is handball when it is a goal. It is what it is.”
The disallowed goal only added to the heartache for the Gunners, who now find themselves six points behind Liverpool, who also have a game in hand. Arsenal appeared to have the upper hand after an impressive north London derby victory on Wednesday, seeming in control until the 60th-minute mark.
That was before sub Lucas Digne delivered a game-changing cross which Tielemans converted, igniting a Villa resurgence which saw the Belgian also hit the post before Watkins smashed his volley beyond David Raya. Unai Emery’s men, having previously crushed Arsenal‘s title hopes last season, dealt another heavy blow this time around.
“Everyone is going to say it, they threw it away,” commentator Pat Nevin noted. “I’m sure Mikel Arteta will say the same thing as well. Aston Villa can play brilliantly on the break and when they did break they looked incredibly dangerous.”
Villa’s manager Emery added: “We showed resilience, mentality and how we reacted on the field. Today was a very good test. How we competed was strong. We did a fantastic job. I was thinking ‘Maybe we could score more more to win’ – this is the mentality I want.”
This article originally appeared on Mirror
