Tuesday 23 May 2017 06:46, UK
We round up the controversial calls involving Arsenal from Ref Watch over the past 12 months.
Former top-flight referee Dermot Gallagher has been running the rule over the key decisions in the Premier League on Sky Sports News HQ every Monday, but how many have gone for and against Arsenal?
Here, we take a look at the most contentious and most important calls of the 2016/17 season, and we'll have the other top six Premier League clubs for you each day this week. Yesterday it was Manchester United, and tomorrow it's Chelsea's turn...
Leicester City 0-0 Arsenal, August 20
INCIDENT: Ahmed Musa gets past Hector Bellerin near the left-hand touchline before racing into the box, only for the Leicester forward's run to be ended by Bellerin's clumsy challenge. No foul is given.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Incorrect decision - I think it's a penalty, the referee obviously doesn't. I don't know why. Musa has been really clever putting himself between the player and the ball. Bellerin has got nowhere to go and he's missed the ball and taken him out. For me it's a penalty, but Mark Clattenburg saw it differently.
Arsenal 3-2 Swansea, October 15
INCIDENT: Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is shown a straight red card for a reckless trip on Swansea winger Modou Barrow. Switzerland international Xhaka was given his marching orders by referee Jon Moss for blatantly tripping Barrow. No attempt was made to play the ball.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision - For me, this is one of the most interesting decisions of the season because, hand on heart, my immediate thought was that this was a yellow card. But having seen it again it is a red card. The reason for that is because the player has no intention whatsoever to play the ball, he can't play the ball and his sole intention is to bring the man down. Barrow took no further part in the game after the challenge so for me it ticked all the boxes for a red card.
Arsenal 1-1 Tottenham, November 6
INCIDENT: Spurs midfielder Victor Wanyama twice clashed with Arsenal forward Theo Walcott on the right-hand touchline. The powerful Kenyan goes unpunished after a series of fouls, including an apparent elbow on Walcott towards the end of the first half that left the player holding the back of his head
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decisions - Regarding the first one, he's used his arm but it's not violent conduct. I think the second one is just an accident. It's a foul at most - nothing more. They both are fouls but it's got to be malicious to be any more than that. I think Clattenburg refereed the game perfectly - he showed how to referee a big, big football match.
Everton 2-1 Arsenal, December 13
INCIDENT: Arsenal were not given a late penalty in their defeat at Everton after Alexis Sanchez went down in the box under a challenge by Kevin Mirallas. The Everton midfielder appeared to trip the Chilean as Arsenal pushed for an equaliser at Goodison Park, but referee Mark Clattenburg waved away their protests and the Toffees went on to win the game.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Incorrect decision - I think it was [a penalty] because [Mirallas] didn't see Sanchez coming. He goes to kick the ball and Sanchez has nicked it away. Mirallas is unlucky, but the clue there is the ball has gone forward, so it's obvious Sanchez has won the ball and not Mirallas.
Man City 2-1 Arsenal, December 18
INCIDENT: Running onto David Silva's through ball, Leroy Sane looked to be inches ahead of the line before scoring past Petr Cech to make it 1-1 at the Etihad. The linesman gave Sane the benefit of the doubt, but Arsene Wenger claimed the goal should not have stood.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Incorrect decision - He's marginally offside, but it's impossible to see with the naked eye. Only his boot. So I would concede it is marginally offside, but it's an incident that every referee and every linesman in the Premier League would let go.
Man City 2-1 Arsenal, December 18
INCIDENT: As Raheem Sterling shot past Cech to make it 2-1 to the hosts, David Silva was stood in an offside position, but was not adjudged to be impairing the goalkeeper's vision. Silva did flick out a leg, but was not in line with Cech at any point. Wenger again claimed the goal should not have stood, though Cech admitted that Silva had not come into his line of vision, and that his own Arsenal team-mates were the only players obstructing the view as they attempted to block Sterling's effort.
DERMOT'S VIEW: Correct decision - As you can see he is not impacting on the goalkeeper, he is not in direct line with him, or his vision. There is a perfect angle to show he does not impact on Cech's vision. The law says he must impact on an opponent.
Chelsea 3-1 Arsenal, February 4
INCIDENT: Marcos Alonso and Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin both jumped to attack the ball in the six-yard box with the Chelsea man winning the battle and heading home for 1-0. However, as he jumped, he caught Bellerin with his arm, knocking the full-back to the ground. Arsene Wenger called it a "100 per cent foul." The goal stood.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision - They've both jumped with their arms in the air and both are focused on the ball. Alonso never looks at Bellerin once. It was natural contact. It would have been more of a surprise if it had been disallowed.
INCIDENT: Arsenal take the lead through Alexis Sanchez, who handles the ball in as it ricochets off his arm from close range. Deliberate or unintentional?
DERMOT'S VERDICT: It's a moral dilemma when you think about it, because a handball has to be deliberate. Sanchez will say it is not, but it doesn't sit right with anybody that he scored with his hand. The problem there is that it has happened so fast. Mark Clattenburg can't see it, the linesman from his angle thinks it has hit him on the chest.
The VAR (video assistant referee) will come, and the VAR will have looked at that and decided it was handball and it would have been cleared up. But with human error being what it is, he's got away with it.
INCIDENT: Last-man Kieran Gibbs brings down Lazar Markovic as the Hull midfielder looks to take control of the ball and go through on goal with the score at 1-0 to Arsenal. Gibbs is shown a yellow card by referee Mark Clattenburg.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Incorrect decision - I think red. Because the law says the attacker must be in control of the ball or have the likelihood of being in control of the ball. All I can think is that Mark Clattenburg might think the ball is going away from Markovic.
Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Arsenal, April 30
INCIDENT: Gabriel upends Harry Kane in the penalty area. As the Spurs striker drives into the box, the centre-back appears to foul his man with a mistimed tackle, with referee Michael Oliver giving a penalty. Kane converted for 2-0.
DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct decision - I think it is a penalty as he fouls Kane, who moves the ball away and Gabriel comes in and takes him out. Gabriel has initiated the contact. And this (decision) capped a first-class refereeing display because this game was handled absolutely superbly by Michael Oliver, who got everything right, the big decisions and that (decision) underpinned how good he was on the day.
