Mikel Arteta screaming, Ola Aina's handball in a circular inset
Credit: Imago / TNT Sports
Harri Burton
Sat 17 January 2026 20:45, UK
Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have every right to be annoyed as Nottingham Forest escaped a late penalty at the City Ground on Saturday.
That is according to former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA referee, Keith Hackett, who exclusively told Football Insider that the recently-returned Ola Aina should have been punished in the 80th minute.
Michael Oliver has made several contentious decisions this season, but it was VAR official Darren England who took a closer look at replays, only for the penalty call to be waved away on 17 January.
With Man City losing to Man United, it could be a key decision which comes back to haunt the Gunners, given that they only extended their lead at the top of the table to seven points, rather than nine.
Ola Aina could have given away a late penalty vs Arsenal
While tussling with Gabriel Jesus and then teammate Elliot Anderson, Forest’s No.34 clearly handled the ball inside the penalty area, but even a VAR check was not enough to award a spot-kick.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the footage, the former referee said: “The player has deliberately moved his hand towards the ball and committed a handling offence.
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“Therefore, a penalty kick should have been awarded. You should regard the shoulder as part of the body, just like the foot. This is not a deflection off the body, but a deliberate play. A penalty should have been awarded.”
It was the Tricky Trees’ first clean sheet in seven games across all competitions, and it might be one that has severe consequences further down the line in the Premier League title race.
What did Mikel Arteta say about the penalty incident?
Unsurprisingly, the Arsenal boss was absolutely certain that a penalty should have been given, and it is difficult to disagree with him when studying the replays.
Speaking after the game, he said, “I saw it live, I saw it here, and I saw it now again. It is very unnecessary, but he brings the ball with his hand, so it’s a clear penalty.”
Had the Gunners won the game, it would not be an incident that is spoken about so much, but on this occasion, it could be one that the PGMOL and Howard Webb are going to hear about.
A lot has been said about the state of officiating in the Premier League this season, with referees being accused of relying on VAR too much. But not even the technology could help with this decision.