Drama unfolded at St. James’ Park when Arsenal were denied an early penalty after a lengthy VAR review.
The incident came just 14 minutes in, when a poor backpass from Jacob Murphy left Viktor Gyokeres racing through on goal. As he tried to round Newcastle keeper Nick Pope, contact sent him tumbling, and referee Jarred Gillett wasted no time in pointing to the spot.
Arsenal’s players thought they had their breakthrough, but celebrations quickly turned to frustration. VAR intervened, asking the referee to review the footage. Slow-motion replays showed Pope’s boot grazing the ball before clattering into Gyokeres. After a second look, Gillett reversed his decision, announcing: “The Newcastle goalkeeper plays the ball — no foul. Restart with a drop ball.”
The call sparked instant debate. By the laws of the game, even a touch on the ball doesn’t rule out a foul if the challenge is careless or reckless. Fans and pundits were left arguing whether Pope’s lunge should still have stood as a penalty.
The overturned decision only added to the tension of a fiery contest. Newcastle took the lead after halftime, piling pressure on Arsenal’s title chase. But Mikel Arteta’s side refused to fold. A late equaliser set the stage before Gabriel soared highest in the 96th minute, powering home a dramatic header to seal a 2–1 comeback win.
After the match, Bukayo Saka couldn’t hide his frustration at the earlier call: “I’m speechless. VAR is supposed to be for clear and obvious errors. If it took that long, it means it wasn’t clear. These little things always seem to go against us, but at least today we got what we deserved.”
