VAR errors boost Arsenal
An independent review says Arsenal benefited from three VAR mistakes — mainly penalty decisions — that helped them build a nine‑point lead over Manchester City (si.com) (metro.co.uk). The Premier League has admitted the errors; City dropped points in a draw with Nottingham Forest, leaving the title race tense as fixtures tighten.
The Premier League’s KMI panel found Brighton should have been awarded a penalty after Mats Wieffer was hauled down by Gabriel Martinelli in the 1–0 game at the Amex on March 4, and said on-field referee Chris Kavanagh erred when VAR Michael Salisbury cleared the incident. (si.com)) The panel voted 4–1 that a spot‑kick should have been awarded and 3–2 that it was a missed VAR intervention, describing Martinelli as “not looking at the ball” and holding Wieffer into the area. (metro.co.uk)) The KMI review also flagged a handball by Declan Rice that should have led to a penalty in Arsenal’s 2–1 win over Chelsea on March 1, and reiterated its December finding that William Saliba’s challenge on Thierno Barry in the 20 December Everton game wrongly denied Everton a spot‑kick. (si.com) Michael Salisbury was the VAR on duty for both the Brighton and Everton incidents the panel criticised, and the KMI noted those three rulings are among 18 VAR errors recorded in the campaign so far. (si.com) The KMI is an independent weekly review made up of three former players or coaches plus one Premier League and one PGMOL representative, and its retrospective rulings do not change match results; they are published to assess decisions and improve officiating. (si.com)) Manchester City’s slip in the title race came the same midweek, when they were held 2–2 by Nottingham Forest at the Etihad on March 4, a result recorded on the Premier League match report. (premierleague.com))
