Anthony Taylor with Bukayo Saka
Image credit: Getty Images
Leandro Trossard’s well-taken second-half goal proved decisive as Arsenal edged past Fulham 1-0 on Saturday evening, extending their lead at the top of the Premier League table to three points.
The Belgian forward found the net from a corner just before the hour mark, securing another vital victory for Mikel Arteta’s side at Craven Cottage.
The match wasn’t without its controversies, however. Just minutes before Trossard’s winner, Bukayo Saka appeared to have earned Arsenal a penalty after being tripped near the edge of the box by Fulham substitute Kevin. Referee Anthony Taylor immediately pointed to the spot, but the decision was swiftly reviewed by VAR, prompting Taylor to check the pitchside monitor.
After examining the footage, the referee overturned his initial call, ruling that Kevin had made contact with the ball before bringing down Saka. The reversal left many questioning the consistency of VAR’s intervention.
READ MORE: Bukayo Saka admits one ‘rubbish’ thing he did in Arsenal win over Fulham
Speaking on Sky Sports, former Premier League midfielder Steve Sidwell expressed his disagreement with Taylor’s final decision. “When I first saw it, I said penalty,” Sidwell remarked.
“I was surprised that it wasn’t kept as ‘given’, because where VAR’s gone so far and where football has gone, it’s been so clinical, it’s been very much black or white, no grey areas.
Fulham v Arsenal
Referee Anthony Taylor overturned Arsenal’s penalty decision against Fulham after a VAR intervention (Image credit: Getty Images)
“We can clearly see here, there is contact knee on knee on the player before Kevin then gets to the ball. In my opinion, it should have been a penalty.”
Jamie Redknapp echoed Sidwell’s frustration, suggesting that the decision did not warrant VAR’s involvement. “If we take it the other way, and the referee doesn’t give it, VAR would have looked at it, but I don’t think they would have given it,” he said.
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“But like Steve says, is it enough to intervene, is it a clear and obvious error? No, I don’t think so. And that’s where the disappointment will be for Bukayo.”
After the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admitted he was initially frustrated with the delay in the decision-making process, though he ultimately agreed with the outcome.
“I was getting animated because it was taking so long,” Arteta explained. “I asked Anthony, ‘Why is it taking so long?’ It was nothing to do with the process; it was just that the screen wasn’t working.
“It probably wasn’t a penalty so they made the right decision in the end, and I was just animated because of the process.”
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