Normally such a calm and composed figure, it was a surprise to absolutely nobody that Mikel Arteta spent much of Arsenal’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle careering around like a hyperactive child and remonstrating with referee Andy Madley.
After the game, Arteta said, “There were two penalties. It’s very simple. I’m talking about what I’ve seen. It’s two scandalous penalties.”
He was discussing two incidents throughout this bad-tempered game, in which there were nine yellow cards shown. The first was a shirt-pull by Newcastle defender Dan Burn on Gabriel Maghalaes from a free-kick, potentially stopping the Brazilian from getting to Bukayo Saka’s free-kick.
The second was a handball in the penalty area from substitute Jacob Murphy after Granit Xhaka’s cross. Video assistant referee (VAR) did not overturn the decision in either case.
Dan Burn vs Gabriel Maghalaes
The much stronger of Arsenal’s two penalty claims, pundits pointed out that this would likely be a free-kick anywhere else on the pitch.
Shirt-pulling is a common footballing offence that almost always results in a foul.
However, under new PGMOL Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb, referees have been instructed to let games flow more than they had previously.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 3, 2023
'They are VERY lucky there Newcastle'
Gary Neville says Newcastle were fortunate to avoid a penalty being awarded for Dan Burn's shirt tug on Gabriel. pic.twitter.com/XpHS47ta2e
While this is a foul in it’s own right, hustling, bustling and penalty-box dark arts are an area of the game that VAR is yet to learn how to adjudicate fully. Something that has become so commonplace in football is not instantly going to disappear and games would not flow if every incident was punished to the fullest extent. Referees are reticent to challenge every skirmish in the penalty area in real time, although VAR may have been expected to rule against Madley.
It is likely that VAR also believed that Gabriel was not involved in the attack, although it is likely that he would have been in a position to attack Saka’s cross if he had not been obstructed.
Sky pundits Gary Neville and Paul Merson both argued strongly that this should have been a penalty, with Merson calling it “stonewall”. Merson also pointed out that “we saw players get booked tonight for less than that.”
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With tensions already high three minutes into stoppage time of a top-of-the-table clash, it is understandable that an incident like this would incite great debate.
After a series of similar situations over recent seasons, the Premier League have ruled that every ball-to-hand contact is not necessarily a handball. If the players hand is not in an unnatural position, or if the ball is hit from too close a distance for players to move out of the way, then a handball will not be awarded.
In this case, it appears neither of those rules are violated. Twisting away from both Xhaka and the ball, Murphy’s arm, although away from his body, is not in an unnatural position. He could not have known his arms would block the ball, especially as he is less than a metre away from Xhaka.
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 3, 2023
Gary Neville on the potential handball in the final moments of Arsenal vs Newcastle. pic.twitter.com/rcohyh3heA
Speaking after the game, Eddie Howe said: “Obviously, at that stage of the game you’re thinking, ‘God no, the lads have given so much,’ and that would have been a travesty for us. I didn’t think it was a penalty but you just never know.”
As Gary Neville said on Sky, Arteta would likely have been furious if a penalty was awarded for the reverse situation.
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