Arsenal are threatening to steamroll to a first Premier League title in over two decades, with Mikel Arteta's men now nine points ahead of their nearest rivals, Manchester City.
The Gunners have benefitted from three errors by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) this season, according to a new report. While these decisions go for and against every team over the course of a campaign, it does suggest they may not be in quite as comfortable a position had officials made the correct calls.
The Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel come together after each English top-flight match to judge the standard of officiating and decide whether any errors were made. The panel consists of five people, including former players and coaches, a representative from the Premier League and another from Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO). They vote on the big decisions, which are often on-pitch mistakes which the VAR should've intervened in.
Arsenal Capitalise on Referee Mistakes
Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice
According to Mail Sport, the panel has concluded that Arsenal have yet to have a VAR-related error go against them in any of their 31 Premier League matches so far. However, a trio of incorrect calls benefitted the potential champions.
In their 1-0 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this month, the home team should've been awarded a penalty kick when Gabriel Martinelli hauled down Dutch midfielder Mats Wieffer inside the box. Michael Salisbury, on VAR duty, didn't see a reason to overturn the decision after referee Chris Kavanagh waved play on.
Fabian Hurzeler was livid with the decision not to award his side a spot kick. That anger has now been justified, as the ruling stated:
"Martinelli is not looking at the ball, holds Wieffer into the area and prevents the player from challenging for the ball."
Another penalty should've been given against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium just days before that Brighton match. Declan Rice was judged to have handled the ball inside the area, but the offence went unpunished and Arsenal won the match 2-1. The panel unanimously voted 5:0 in favour of a spot kick being the right decision.
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To complete the hat-trick of penalties that never were, Thierno Barry should've been given one for a foul by William Saliba. A Viktor Gyokeres penalty settled the clash with Everton last year, but the Toffees were wrongly denied a similar opportunity.
After David Moyes suggested certain clubs are favoured by officials, his claims have now been backed up as three panel members noted 'Saliba carelessly kicked Barry with no contact on the ball'.