Why VAR Couldn’t Disallow Arsenal Goal vs Tottenham After Corner Decision, Explanation has been given
Tottenham fans have expressed their frustration on social media after Arsenal capitalized on a controversial corner decision in their north London derby victory.
Despite facing heavy pressure early in the match at the Emirates Stadium, Tottenham shocked the home crowd when Son Heung-min volleyed from the edge of the box to give Spurs an early lead.
However, their advantage was short-lived. Gabriel’s header deflected off Dominic Solanke and into the net, sparking heated online debate. Replays indicated that the corner should not have been awarded, as the ball had come off Leandro Trossard’s knee after bouncing between him and Pedro Porro.
Despite this, the corner stood. Initially, Gabriel was credited with the goal, but it was later officially recorded as an own goal by Solanke.
Just four minutes later, Trossard scored to give Arsenal a 2-1 victory, securing Mikel Arteta’s first Premier League double over their local rivals. Meanwhile, frustrated Tottenham fans questioned why VAR did not intervene in the corner decision—though there is an explanation.
Why VAR Couldn’t Intervene in the Corner Decision
The reason VAR could not review the corner decision is because the technology only reviews the attacking possession phase leading up to a goal. In this case, the review process began with the corner itself and did not include the earlier decision to award it, according to The Mirror.
Tottenham players were seen confronting the referee as they left the pitch, expressing their frustration over the controversial first-half incident. Despite the mistake, VAR was unable to intervene. Tottenham couldn’t recover from Arsenal’s late first-half surge, though they nearly equalized in the dying moments when Pedro Porro’s shot struck the post.
The result leaves Ange Postecoglou’s side with 11 defeats in the Premier League this season, with only three teams having suffered more losses.
For Arsenal, the victory closed the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool, who had been held to a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest the night before. Arsenal now sits just four points behind, with a game against Aston Villa at the Emirates on Saturday, aiming to narrow the gap even further, though Liverpool still holds a game in hand.
