Arsenal discover huge VAR error in title race as Premier League panel confirm mistakes

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Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have been told Everton should have been awarded a penalty in their recent 3-3 draw with Manchester City after Bernardo Silva hauled Toffees star Merlin Rohl to the ground. The incident was not seen by referee Michael Oliver, and VAR official Paul Howard adjudged it to have occurred before the corner was taken, so he could not intervene.

However, the Premier League's Key Match panel believes the Toffees should have been awarded a spot kick, when David Moyes ' side were leading 3-2 at the time. City fought back and grabbed a share of the spoils thanks to a Jeremy Doku equaliser. Although City's slip-up allowed the Gunners to reclaim top spot, the draw means Pep Guardiola's men are just two points behind Arsenal , rather than three.

Arteta's charges can restore that five point lead over City with a win against already relegated Burnley on Monday night, with City in FA Cup action against Chelsea . They're set to face Bournemouth on Tuesday night in their penultimate game of the season, with the title still up for grabs.

Moyes was left furious by the decision not to award a penalty, and said at the time: "If that doesn't get given as a penalty, then it's an absolute free-for-all from now on."

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All five members of the panel agreed with the Toffees boss and ruled: "There is a clear, sustained holding offence which continues as the corner is taken and the ball comes into play." The panel consists of five members: one from the Premier League , one from PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) and three former players or coaches.

There have been several controversial recent VAR calls to impact the title race after West Ham United saw a late equaliser against Arsenal ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper David Raya , despite several players grappling in the box . The admission of error in the Everton vs City game takes the number of VAR errors up to 23 for the campaign, and it's the third time the Toffees have been denied a penalty through review, one of those in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal and the other in 2-1 loss to West Ham United.

The incident in the defeat to the Hammers left Moyes fuming, with the ball striking the hand of West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes inside the box as he grappled with Thierno Barry. "I'm a bit surprised," he said.

"I've been to see them (the officials) and VAR are saying it was grappling – well, the boy marking him was grappling. He punched the ball. I'm amazed they haven't given it."

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Speaking on Match Officials Mic'd Up, head of PGMOL Howard Webb said: "Interesting situation, this one. I'm with you. From the outset, I want to say we think a penalty should've been awarded here against Fernandes. However, I don't think he really meant to deliberately handle the ball.

"But most penalties that are given where there's no intent to handle the ball are when players make themselves unnaturally bigger. They take a risk by putting their arm out to maybe block a shot or a cross, and they know that if the ball does hit their arm or their hand in that position, then they're going to pay the price for that.

"He doesn't make himself unnaturally bigger here. He moves his arm forward. I think he's probably trying to prevent the attacker from turning him. But in doing that, he kind of bats the ball away.

"He can't even see the ball, but Fernandes knows more or less where the ball is, and it's a deliberate action with his arm, probably not to handle the ball, but to do something. And therefore, I think we've given Fernandes way too much benefit of the doubt here.

"Looking really quite technically at it, I think the game just expects a penalty in this situation. We have to fall in line with what the game expects, the understanding of what the game expects, and I think in this situation, a penalty would've been the right outcome and let Fernandes explain what he was trying to do rather than us trying to explain why we decided not to intervene!"

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