Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey believes VAR was right not to cancel the penalty awarded to Everton in their match against Arsenal.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was visibly frustrated after his team drew 1-1 with Everton at Goodison Park, losing ground in the Premier League title race.
Leandro Trossard put Arsenal ahead in the first half at Goodison Park.
However, early in the second half, Iliman Ndiaye equalized for Everton with a penalty.
The penalty was awarded after Myles Lewis-Skelly was judged to have fouled Jack Harrison. Replays suggested the incident was debatable and possibly outside the penalty area.
Speaking to SunSport, former referee Halsey clarified that VAR was unlikely to reverse the on-field decision.
Halsey stated that referee Darren England gave the penalty when Myles Lewis-Skelly of Arsenal supposedly fouled Jack Harrison during their 1-1 draw against Everton.
He added that both players were competing for the ball, making it difficult to determine a clear foul, and the contact might have started outside the box.
Halsey pointed out that no Everton players initially appealed for a penalty, with Harrison quickly getting up. However, VAR official Stuart Attwell would not have recommended a review because the on-field decision was not an obvious error.
He concluded that these calls are subjective, and while it feels unfair when they go against your team, the decision would likely stand even if the penalty wasn`t initially given.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was clearly angry, as the draw potentially allowed Liverpool to extend their lead by 14 points.
Arteta commented that he had reviewed the incident 15 times and, in his opinion, it was not a penalty.
He believes that apart from the penalty, Everton created little, but the decision significantly changed the game`s momentum and outcome.
Arteta felt Arsenal deserved more from the game but acknowledged they had to accept a point, having missed two clear chances to win.
