Mikel Arteta pulls at his face in frustration next to a smiling Virgil van Dijk.
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What Van Dijk got away with in Liverpool game will have Arsenal fans raging

(Photos by Alexander Hassenstein & Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Fulham achieved a fair result against Liverpool on Sunday, though it was entirely possible the Reds could have stolen a draw had events transpired against them.

The failure to award a penalty against either Virgil van Dijk or Caoimhin Kelleher for clear offences in the 18-yard box had Marco Silva visibly upset in the technical area.

One might also imagine that Arsenal fans will be equally frustrated by the quality of officiating on display given a soft penalty call cost them three points at the weekend.

The Gunners sit 11 points behind Arne Slot’s Liverpool side in second place in the Premier League table.

Van Dijk or Kelleher should have been penalised

Virgil van Dijk plays a pass against Fulham.
(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Whilst there has to be an acceptance of some room for error in officiating, much as the same fans accept player errors, the horrendous lack of consistency can’t be swept under the rug.

Keith Hackett, quite rightly, called out the VAR team supporting referee Chris Kavanagh for failing to encourage the on-pitch official to review two instances of foul play.

The former PGMOL chief spotted Kelleher bring down Andreas Pereira before Virgil van Dijk, shortly after, unfairly impeded Rodrigo Muniz.

“Where is [Matt] Donohue, the VAR, looking? Because there’s two offences that both required a penalty-kick decision. Goalkeeper and Van Dijk,” the Englishman told Football Insider.

“Both guilty of offences inside the penalty area. Beyond belief.”

Both instances were arguably far more clear-cut than the penalty awarded to Everton after Myles Lewis-Skelly was adjudged to have taken Jack Harrison down inside the box.

Arsenal haven’t had a fair shake with officiating calls

It’s hardly the first time Arsenal fans have had cause for complaint – nor the first time that a game has been impacted by a controversial penalty call.

In terms of points lost on the board, the Gunners have been dealt a slightly harsher hand by VAR calls, according to ESPN’s tracker.

  • Liverpoo: -2 
  • Manchester United: -2
  • Nottingham Forest: -2
  • Everton: -3
  • Arsenal: -4

But this, of course, doesn’t account for poor-quality officiating, as took place at Goodison Park, to deny Mikel Arteta’s men a valuable three points.

An 11-point lead may very well prove unassailable at this late stage in the 2024/25 season.

However, one can only wonder at the state of the league table had Premier League games been governed by competent officials.

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Tags Caoimhin Kelleher Keith Hackett Virgil van Dijk

13 Comments

  1. “Premier League games been governed by competent officials” Becoming more rare by the match week whether it’s an Arsenal game or not. Only a problem with competence from purportedly the best trained in the world or is something else much more dark at play?

    1. There is zero evidence to say something else much more dark is at play or what the motive would be

      1. Dan,

        I blame all the teams that are not letting Arsenal win all their games. BOO HOO,😢😢😢😢😢🤷‍♂️

  2. Clubs should demand change. Oust Webb and instill consequences for incompetence from rfs and VAR.

    Other sports are not perfect, but I simply don’t see these discrepancies at the level I do with PL officials.

    Great sport, great league, too many incompetent officials led by Webb; a disgrace himself for covering.

    1. Durand,

      Webb is just an apologist for his incompetent employees.

      What good are his apologies anyway. Sorry doesn’t help the team that has been wronged.

      If he spent more time dealing with his incompetent employees, then he wouldn’t feel the need to keep apologizing for their shortcomings.

      But that said, he to has many shortcomings it would seem. 😉👍

  3. its 2025 and people still havent evolved in there awareness to realise the world has never bn fair and equal

    those are the people blissfully unaware of reality sadly

    they tune in to the news at ten and likely get the flu jab along with all those other made up narratives that govern there existence

    fixing match events is not a conspiracy its merely a part of life those that are sober to reality accept but do not agree with

    so if you’re the drunk one… Do relax as I’m almost certain ur drunk inner dialogue will very quickly reinforce tht delusional perception as so you can safely return back to noddy land

  4. But then what do players get for say diving ?
    Havertz for example dived against United and it went in our favour
    So if we want to rid the game of officials getting decisions wrong ( happened since the game was invented ) we can’t then have players and managers trying to con them ?

    So if every reff should face a consequence for getting something wrong – if we down that road we need to punish any player or manager for being deceitful

    1. Dan,

      I totally agree with your point regarding the players and managers conduct. I’ve thought that for years.

      I find it totally laughable that the players shake hands before games, apparently it’s a UEFA fair play gimmick.

      Then they try to get opposition player booked or sent off, feign injury, time waste, and so on.

      And yes it must be hard for the ref, and certainly the players and managers could help by being more honest. But you know as well as I do, that they all see it as part of the game sadly.

      But the ref’s are not blameless also. Now I’m by no means one of these conspiracy theorists that you get on here with some, but just using the penalty at Everton, the ref got that totally wrong, and then for VAR to then not advise him to look again was the perfect example of their incompetence.

      Mr Webb and the officials need to improve with the decisions that VAR shows to be clearly wrong, not just back the ref, because they don’t want to undermine him.

      But again your right, the players need to start taking some responsibility for there actions on the pitch as well.

      1. I agree mate
        Last Thursday summed it up for me
        Replays clearly show that the Spurs player kicks the Chelsea player before scoring
        The official is looking at the monitor and in end gets blamed for looking at screen too long

        But is Big Ange and Spurs players saying …..hey he kicked him , don’t worry carry on reff

        No …..understandably while he is looking they are over his shoulder complaining goal should be allowed
        Big Ange is looking at his monitor saying what’s the problem.

        So on one had he’s on the touchline complaining / pressuring reff despite knowing full well it’s a foul then has the audacity to complain it took too long

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