Mikel Arteta's Arsenal took charge of the first North London derby of the 2025/26 campaign with goals from Leandro Trossard and Eberechi Eze in the first half – but many were under the impression that Eze's goal in the 41st minute should have been disallowed as there were a sea of bodies in Guglielmo Vicario's eyeline. The Premier League has now provided a reason behind the decision.
After a poor first half an hour from both sides, it was Arsenal's Trossard who drew first blood in the 36th minute as midfielder-turned-striker Mikel Merino scooped a ball into the vicinity of the Belgian, who shot first time to open the scoring. Eze, who had the chance to sign for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2025, then provided a sucker punch for the Gunners just minutes later.
Doubling their lead with a brilliantly-worked goal, Eze was found with a pass by Declan Rice. He skipped beyond two challenges in the Tottenham danger area before guiding his right-footed shot through a melee of bodies between himself and Vicario. However, there were concerns over the eligibility of the Englishman's strike given Vicario's line of vision was impeded by Arsenal players.
Premier League Explain Michael Oliver's Decision to Allow Eze Goal in North London Derby
Clearing up any confusion, the Premier League Match Centre took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm that Michael Oliver's initial decision was checked by VAR. There were, however, no players in Arsenal colours in front of Guglielmo Vicario, it was claimed, and that's why the goal was allowed to stand.
"The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed that there were no Arsenal players in the line of vision of the goalkeeper, and they made no movement to impact an opponent while in an offside position."
More to follow...