Ian Wright and Alan Shearer argued over the call to not award Newcastle United a first-half penalty during Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Eddie Howe’s side at St James’ Park on Sunday.
Before Martin Odegaard could open the scoring with an outstanding long-range finish for Arsenal, there were cries from the Newcastle crowd that Jakub Kiwior handled the ball inside the penalty area.
The on-field referee, Chris Kavanagh, decided to award the penalty straight away, but then VAR advised him to look at his monitor, which he did, and he overturned his call.
It proved to be a very big decision because Odegaard would then fire his team ahead, before Gabriel Martinelli forced Fabian Schar to put the ball into the back of his net with 20 minutes left on the clock.
As you can understand, things were heated in the studio between two Arsenal and Newcastle legends on this penalty call.
This is what Arsenal-biased Ian Wright and Newcastle-biased Shearer made of it all, as they told Premier League Productions (07/05/23 at 5:30pm)
“I don’t think (it’s hit his leg first),” said Shearer. “I have looked at it six or seven times. I can’t tell you, for certain, that has hit his leg first.
“If it’s taken the referee seven replays to look at, then it’s not clear and obvious. I just don’t see it. I keep watching it and watching it. I am waiting for somebody to tell me it has definitely hit his leg and I just can’t see it.
Wright responded: “When you look at that, the reason why you are vexed as you are, Al, it’s because that looks as though, to me, it has hit the top of his thigh! Why are they looking at it so many times? They don’t need to look at it so many times?!
“Of course, I am (happy that’s clear and obvious). I am totally happy with that. They have looked at it for too long. It has come off the top of his thigh.”
CORRECT CALL
Newcastle fans will be annoyed by that decision, but if it was the other way around, then they probably wouldn’t be screaming and shouting like they were.
Yes, the referee looked at that incident on a number of occasions before making his call, but at the end of the day, it was the correct one.
Kiwior’s shorts made a clear movement as the ball was coming to him, so the correct call was made and Arsenal were the better team on the day.
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