Arsenal were left furious after being denied a penalty in the first half of their game against Newcastle United. Viktor Gyökeres went down in the area following a challenge from Nick Pope, and referee Jarred Gillett initially pointed to the spot.
However, after consulting the VAR monitor, Gillett reversed his decision, ruling that Pope had played the ball. The Premier League later confirmed the outcome, declaring the final decision was a drop ball.
The incident drew frustration from Mikel Arteta and his players, while pundits were split. Gary Neville felt it looked like a penalty at first, saying Gyökeres got there before Pope, but later admitted he was “torn” after replays. Joe Hart, meanwhile, backed the referee, insisting Pope touched the ball before making contact and therefore no foul was committed.
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