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Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has called for referee Darren England to be removed from his next appointment after Arsenal were denied a late penalty at Nottingham Forest. The incident, involving a suspected handball by Ola Aina, drew strong reactions from Mikel Arteta and a contrasting view from Forest manager Sean Dyche. The Premier League Match Centre said VAR checked and upheld the on-field decision.
Hackett urges action after Arsenal denied late penalty at Forest
Hackett said referee Darren England “should be taken off his next match” after Arsenal were not awarded a late penalty at Nottingham Forest. Arsenal appealed for a spot-kick when full-back Ola Aina appeared to handle in the area with about 10 minutes remaining. The decision not to give the penalty fuelled anger from Arsenal after they dropped two points at the City Ground.
Speaking to Football Insider, Hackett said the incident should have resulted in a penalty and criticised how VAR applied the “clear and obvious” threshold. “It’s a subjective call. You can see a cusping of the arm towards the ball,” Hackett said. He added that VAR officials were “confused” and argued performances should be reviewed, saying an error should lead to officials being stood down from match duty.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said the officials got the call wrong and described the incident as a “clear penalty.” Arteta said he had seen it live and again after the match. “It’s very unnecessary but he brings the ball in with his hand,” Arteta said, adding that “those are the margins” in games.
Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche strongly disagreed, saying he did not believe the incident should be punished. “I think if these start to get given we’ve all got to leave it. I think that’s ridiculous,” Dyche said. He added that the rules “have to be careful” and argued officials should focus more on players “feigning injury,” which he called “the new diving.”
The Premier League Match Centre explained the decision on X, saying the on-field call of no penalty was “checked and confirmed by VAR.” It said the ball was judged to have hit Aina’s shoulder first and that his arm was in a natural position when the incident was reviewed.
