How the VAR judgment calls have gone for Arsenal

Reviewing and keeping track of how the calls have gone for Arsenal

Referee discourse is never fun but because the decisions they make carry such weight it is unavoidable. This week is no different with Arsenal having the three biggest judgment call decisions in their match against Aston Villa all go against them.

Arsenal fan’s feel like things have gone against them massively this season and it does feel to me like perhaps the judgment calls have generally gone against them. That being said our memories suck, we remember the injustices but downplay the calls that benefit Arsenal and it can paint a biased picture.

I wanted to go back and see how things look for Arsenal this year and thankfully there is a pretty good resource for that with Dale Johnson of ESPN doing a weekly rundown of the biggest calls and explaining the decision-making around the calls. I am going to use inclusion in his recap as my barometer for if a call was a controversial judgment call and track if it went for Arsenal or against Arsenal.

I don’t want to go to deep into if I think it was right or wrong because I don’t think that really matters here when if looking at if there is a general bias in the judgment calls going one way or the other.

Going through each review, I will exclude black-and-white rules where the referee doesn’t need to make a judgment. So offsides/ball out of play/scorer handling does not count as a judgment call.

So far this season the tally looks like this:

19 judgment calls in Arsenal’s favor.

25 judgment calls going against Arsenal, plus two extra where there were not the camera angles to make black-and-white calls. (not counted here).

So far this season it is 43% for Arsenal and 57% against for the big judgment calls. I don’t know if this is evidence of systemic bias but it doesn’t help to show that there isn’t. Here are all the calls from the reviews below. Let me know if I missed one.

(updated through April 6 against Brighton, starting to go back and add additional commentary and screenshots from the calls as well)

Arsenal 2-1 Nottingham Forest

Possible penalty: Handball by Rice

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Possible penalty: Foul on Havertz in the buildup to Awoniyi goal

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

Crystal Palace 0-1 Arsenal

Arsenal played Monday and was not included in the VAR review. I do think there was one big decision in this match for the VAR (the other was the two yellow cards but that can’t be reviewed).

Possible penalty: Partey challenge on Eze

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Arsenal 2-2 Fulham

Nothing of note from VAR review.

EDIT 2023-12-11 9:40am, suggested by @JackTer11093393:

Possible penalty: Foul on Bassey in the buildup to Nketiah goal

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Arsenal 3-1 Man United

Possible penalty overturn: Wan-Bissaka challenge on Havertz

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

Possible offside: Garnacho when scoring

Rule

Possible penalty: Gabriel challenge on Højlund

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Possible foul: Gabriel on Evans before Rice scored

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Everton 0-1 Arsenal

Possible offside: Nketiah before Martinelli goal

Rule

Possible penalty: Saliba on Doucoure

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Arsenal 2-2 Tottenham

Possible penalty: Handball by Romero

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

This one is very much in the who knows what a handball is range. It is hand away from the body and raised but the shot is also very close range and hit hard at him. I think handball is the right call here.

I think this is a 75% handball

Possible red card: DOGSO by Romero handball (EDIT 2024-02-20 4:15pm, suggested by @MKTIRB):

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

He was not given a yellow either, the general way this seems to be enforced in England is that unless it is very intentional and stops a goal it is not given as a red card. It looks like they did make the judgment that with other players on the line it was possible that it could have been potentially blocked by teammates and not a red card.

I think this is a 5% red card.

Possible red card: Nketiah challenge on Vicario

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Nketiah is high and not fully in control here. This was in my view a lucky break for Arsenal, he saved most likely by contact being from his non-extended leg rather than with the studs.

I think this is a 75% red card.

Arsenal 4-0 Bournemouth

Nothing of note from VAR review. There were two penalties but they didn’t rise to level of controversy to get noted in the weekly recap. I think they were very clear penalties and not particularly controversial.

Arsenal 1-0 Man City

Possible red card: Kovacic challenge on Ødegaard

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

This is one that you have seen given. It is pretty aggressive tackle and from behind as well, I would not have complained if an Arsenal player got sent off for it. Yellow is probably the minimum acceptable choice.

I think this is a 40% red card, 90% yellow card.

Possible second yellow card: Kovacic challenge on Rice

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

This isn’t reviewable by VAR but it is another foul that is a bad challenge. It is a clear foul, from behind and not near the ball. It isn’t a red but it is also more than a regular foul.

I think this is a 90% yellow card.

Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal

Possible penalty: Sanchez on Jesus

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

Goalkeepers are given a lot of room to make these kinds of challenges without them turning into fouls. I don’t care for it but that is how it is called. I think this is a potentially dangerous play and one that should get called as a foul but that is me. I don’t think given what we see other times this was out of the ordinary for what is allowed.

I think this is a 15% foul.

Possible red card: Palmer challenge on Jesus

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

It is late but not high or particularly dangerous. A yellow is probably right given others that are similar.

I think this is a 10% type red card.

Possible penalty: Handball by Saliba

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

His hand is out away from body and up near the shoulder level. It is from very close so it isn’t without mitigating circumstances either. I think it is harsh but ultimately right.

I think this is a 75% type handball.

Arsenal 5-0 Sheffield United

Possible penalty: Foul by Norwood on Vieira

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

This is a pretty clear foul, inside the box and a good use of VAR to get a missed call called correctly. It is a judgment call but it isn’t particularly controversial in my mind, just something that was missed by the on-field referee.

This is a pretty clear call 95% type foul.

Newcastle 1-0 Arsenal

Possible ball out of play / foul / handball / offside: Gordon goal

Ball out of play: can’t judge from the camera angle

It could be but I agree that you cannot say for certain that it was out.

Handball: rule

Offside: can’t tell from the camera angles where the player and ball is

I think there was a good chance that he was offside here but the things required to draw the lines aren’t there.

Foul: Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

This for me is a foul and is almost always a foul given how the game is called. I think that this is like a 75% type call and I was very surprised that it was not overturned.

Possible red card: Havertz challenge on Longstaff

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

He doesn’t make contact with Longstaff here but he is fully off the ground and coming in at a high rate of speed. It is reckless and just about on the right side of not dangerous because he led him going for the ball.

I think this is a 25% red card and 95% yellow card.

Possible red card: Guimarães challenge on Jorginho

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

I don’t have words to really explain this call. I you watch the video of it, he is clearly in the red mist zone and is hunting Jorginho here. He has no intention to play the ball and this is the most obvious situation that should be a red card.

I would say 100% red card but we saw it wasn’t so 95%.

Arsenal 3-1 Burnley

Possible red card overturn: Vieira foul on Brownhill

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

No complaints about the call.

This is a 90% red card.

Brentford 0-1 Arsenal

Possible offside: Trossard when scoring

Rule

Close but not that close.

Arsenal 2-1 Wolves

Possible penalty: Foul by Kilman on Jesus

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

It is a hold but it isn’t the worst hold I have ever seen. I think this is one where you have seen it given.

I think this is a 50% foul.

Luton 3-4 Arsenal

Possible penalty: Osho shirt pull on Gabriel

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

I think this pull does rise to the level of affecting Gabriel’s ability to challenge for this ball. Lots of grabbing is allowed on these so it isn’t a clear-cut decision.

I think this is a 33% foul.

Possible penalty: Handball by Adebayo

Rule, can’t be called for a handball if you head it on to your own arm.

Possible penalty: Townsend on Kiwior

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

Possible red card: Kiwior on Townsend

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

The two above go together on this. I think no call is probably right but I disagree with Johnson on which one is a better case. Maybe I am too much NBA-pilled but I think Townsend is in Kiwior’s landing zone here and is at fault for him going down. Kiwior is doing his natural follow-through and Townsend is late to block.

I think this is a 10% foul, after a shot is taken noting is called.

I think this is a 5% red card.

Possible penalty: Osho challenge on Saka

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

Ball is away and I think that is what makes this contact a coming together rather than a foul.

5% foul.

Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal

Possible penalty: Luiz on Jesus

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

I think Luiz is lucky here and it is the lame “theatrical” selling that goes against Arsenal here. He takes out Jesus’s foot and is late and it should be a foul.

I think this is a 50% foul.

Possible red card: Carlos challenge on Nketiah

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

There isn’t a good angle on this one and it looks like an arm across to block off rather than an elbow. I think this is the right call.

5% of a red card

Possible goal: Havertz handball

Rule

This is a tough one because it is not obviously conclusive that it comes off Havertz’s hand. It probably does and that was the call on the field so it can’t be changed without conclusive proof. I don’t think the referee for sure saw it but thought it was likely and made the call.

Arsenal 2-0 Brighton

Nothing of note from VAR review.

Mikel Arteta did get a yellow for waving/asking for a card but that was not a reviewable decision and was the most contentious call of the match from my memory.

Liverpool 1-1 Arsenal

No VAR review because of Christmas, but these should be the big moments of the match.

Possible offside: Gabriel Goal

Rule, this was on the margin of error and went Arsenal’s way but not a judgment call.

There isn’t a replay with the offside line but it is close.

Possible Penalty: Odegaard handball

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

I think Arsenal were lucky with this one. Odegaard is falling/slipping but his hand isn’t on the ground or anything to stop his fall as is typically the rule on this type. I think that this was a 75% handball.

Possible red card: Saka challenge on Gravenberch

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

I don’t think that this was ever a foul but it became a flashpoint with Liverpool fans who thought this was probably more a missed second yellow, than a red.

Possible Penalty: Alexander-Arnold challenge on Havertz

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

I think this was a borderline call. It would be a bit soft but Alexander-Arnold is late and this is contact from behind that can be easily called a foul.

I think this is 25% a foul.

Arsenal 0-2 West Ham

Possible ball out of play: Soucek goal

Not a judgment call.

It is Newcastle again, can’t judge from the camera angle this time because the camera on the line is being blocked by the player. It looks like it is over the line but in the key frame Bowen’s leg is making it so it can’t be definitive and thus they say they have to stick with the call.

Fulham 2-1 Arsenal

Possible offside: Saka when scoring

Rule

Possible penalty: Saliba foul on De Cordova-Reid

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Not enough contact to be a penalty and really not sure why he included it in the list because I don’t think it was a particularly contentious decision. Didn’t even make it into my notes about the match.

0% foul.

Possible red card: Saliba foul on Wilson

Rule

A covering defender very close to the play makes this something that is not a red card under the rules.

Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace

Possible foul: Gabriel on Richards

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Gabriel gets up first and beats the defender, contact doesn’t look like it would merit a foul, especially not from VAR.

Also a mention of Trossard’s block/screen in the buildup, Johnson says it is not out of the ordinary for most set plays.

I think there is a 10% chance that this was a foul.

Possible foul: White on Henderson

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

White is making the keeper uncomfortable but isn’t doing any holding and is just being in the way but he has a right to be in that space with no obligation to move for the keeper.

Keepers are given extra protection so I would say this is a 5% to be called a foul even tho I really don’t think it was.

Nottingham Forrest 1-2 Arsenal

Nothing of note from VAR review.

I don’t remember anything or had anything down in my notes as contentious either. Let me know if I missed anything there.

Arsenal 3-1 Liverpool

Possible disallowed goal: Offside against Saka

Rule, he is onside

Possible disallowed goal: Handball by Gabriel

Rule, a defender can score from an accidental handball, might have been a penalty had it not been an own goal.

This is probably 75% a handballhad it not been a goal.

Possible red card: Konate challenge on Havertz

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

They looked at potential DOGSO and decided it was not. Weirdly Johnson has a dig in there that he wasn’t sure if this was even a foul at all. I think it is not particularly controversial as foul (biased) given that he throws him down when it is clear Havertz is in position to win the long ball.

I think this is a 5% red card, but 100% a foul.

Possible penalty: Mac Allister challenge on Havertz

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

Mac Allister trips Havertz but VAR sticks with it being more coming together than a foul and doesn’t say it is an error.

I think this is close to a foul, you have seen them given and 25% foul with that he loses full control as the main factor.

West Ham 0-6 Arsenal

Possible red card: Álvarez challenge on Saka

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

The foul is reckless but didn’t rise to the level of danger to warrant a red card, especially not from VAR. This is in my view the correct call as well but it does go down as a judgment call for the tracking here.

I think this is a 5% red card

Possible red card: Areola challenge on Saka

The rule on not playing the ball for a penalty red card was relaxed, now if it is making an attempt the correct call is yellow. Areola is beaten but was making a genuine play on the player.

Burnely 0-5 Arsenal

Nothing from the VAR review but I do think there was one decision from this

Possible penalty: Trossard fouled by Lorenz Assignon

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

This was called on the field, there wasn’t a ton of contact (but there was impeding with the challenge that got none of the ball) and it was not overturned by VAR.

I think this is a 75% foul.

Arsenal 4-1 Newcastle

Nothing from the VAR review officially but the Kiwior goal did get a passing mention.

Possible offside: William Saliba on Kiwior goal

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

From the contact by Kiwior it is clear Saliba is offside but the judgment was made that he was not interfering with the keeper trying to save the ball and he did not make an attempt to score on the ball.

I think this is a 5% offside.

Sheffield United 0-6 Arsenal

Nothing from the VAR review officially and there wasn’t really anything overly controversial in this match.

Arsenal 2-1 Brentford

This was one of the more controversy-filled matches in a while.

Possible penalty: Jorgensen holding Gabriel

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

It is deemed that both players are grappling with each other and that because of that it is best as a no call. I think for this one that is correct, it would be harsh because this type of stuff does happen all the time on set plays and it is hard to say it is a foul when both are doing it.

I think this is a 5% foul.

Possible penalty: Roerslev pulling back Trossard

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

In the commentary explaining this, Johnson says this is mainly because Trossard goes down theatrically but that is not really how I see it (I am biased tho) with Trossard seeming to be knocked off balance from the pullback. Here is the video from Arsenalist:

I think this is a 75% foul.

Possible penalty: Collins challenge on Havertz

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

Havertz is in the box and has touched the ball past the defender Collins who challenges, he makes contact on the thigh and Havertz goes down looking for a penalty. It is judged that this was a coming together and not a penalty and I think the right call.

I think this is a 25% foul.

Possible second yellow: Havertz dive

Rule, no yellow card advising from VAR

With Havertz on a yellow card already, the fall in the box by some was looked to want to be a dive and a second yellow card. Havertz does try and buy a foul here but there was contact and that is likely what keeps it from being yellow for simulation. I think that this was the right call, I don’t want yellows for situations where there is contact.

I think this is a 10% called a dive and yellow.

Possible penalty: Lewis-Potter holding Gabriel

Judgment call, goes AGAINST Arsenal

I am not sure why, but this wasn’t touched on the VAR review because I thought this was more noteworthy than the first incident. I think this was one where Lewis-Potter is lucky to not get this called, he is beaten and uses his handful of shirt/shorts to impede Gabriel from having a chance to challenge for this ball into the box. Gabriel does not grab back here so it seems much closer to a foul. This is in the you have seen them called range and I think probably could and should have been.

I think this is a 50% foul.

Manchester City 0-0 Arsenal

There were no items in the VAR review for this match and there weren’t many especially egregious or controversial calls from this one. The big thing seems to be the lack of yellow cards from Anthony Taylor but overall he seemed to call a consistent game for both teams.

Brighton 0-3 Arsenal

Possible penalty overturn: Lamptey challenge on Jesus

Judgment call, goes FOR Arsenal

Lamptey gets the slightest touch on the ball as Jesus flicks it past him cutting in. This caused many to say that because he got the slight touch on the ball it should not be or could not be a foul. That is just not how the law works, winning the ball (which I would argue he does not because it is still going where Jesus wants it and has Lamptey beat) doesn’t mean you can’t foul the player.

With this it is clear that Lamptey is pretty reckless in that he causes the tripping of Jesus, this is not a 50/50 where the attacker falls over a challenge but rather where the defender clearly takes him out with his action and there is no way Jesus can avoid it.

I think that this is 95% a foul and only leaving the 5% because sometimes crazy things happen.