Arsenal Robbed of 'Stone-Cold Penalty' as Title Dreams Take Major Hit
Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina had his arm positioned "naturally" according to match officials who rejected Arsenal's penalty claim that manager Mikel Arteta considered a "clear spot-kick" during Saturday's scoreless draw.
In the final 10 minutes of an intense, closely-fought match at the City Ground, Aina blocked a loose ball from Arsenal forward Gabriel Jesus who was lurking nearby. Though teammate Elliot Anderson provided assistance, the defender still made an unusual and apparently instinctive movement with his right arm toward the ball to stop it from bouncing out for another Arsenal corner kick.
The Gunners, who had wasted numerous earlier opportunities—notably a wayward close-range attempt by Gabriel Martinelli—couldn't find the decisive goal after that moment.
The stalemate left Arteta's team seven points ahead of Manchester City following Manchester United's convincing derby victory earlier that day, though it also gave Aston Villa an opportunity to reduce their deficit to four points with a win over Everton on Sunday.
Premier League Explain Why Arsenal Were Not Given a Penalty
Premier League Explain Why Arsenal Were Not Given a Penalty
Match referee Michael Oliver's view was blocked during the incident but stopped play while consulting with VAR official Darren England. Video replays confirmed the ball made contact with Aina's arm, however the official Premier League Match Centre later explained that "the ball struck Aina's shoulder initially, with his arm positioned naturally."
Rule 11 in the FA Handbook states that a player "is deemed to have unnaturally enlarged their body when their hand/arm position cannot be justified by or is not a natural consequence of the player's body movement in that particular situation."
Arteta disagreed, maintaining his team had "clearly" been denied "an obvious penalty." Predictably, Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche held a contrasting opinion.
Dyche: You Might As Well Cancel Football
Dyche: You Might As Well Cancel Football
Dyche was more focused on the penalty shout his team felt was ignored when Jurriën Timber clashed with Callum Hudson-Odoi at the box's edge. TNT Sports analyst and former Arsenal defender Martin Keown dismissed those claims as quickly as the officials did and instead questioned the Forest manager about Aina's alleged handball.
"You've witnessed those being awarded," Keown contended. Dyche disagreed. "You might as well abandon football if that's going to be penalized," the outspoken manager repeated twice. "I'm being genuine," Dyche persisted despite Keown's frustration.
"Would you have accepted that in your playing days?" he questioned his fellow former professional. "Well, no," Keown started. "No, I don't believe so," Dyche cut him off, turning away from the ex-defender as Steven Gerrard chuckled nearby.
The central figure in this controversy, Aina himself, remained unfazed. "I sensed a slight contact," he stated in his post-game interview. "It made contact with me, but my arms were at my sides," Aina maintained. "I believe it was the correct decision."