Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has agreed with Mikel Arteta and doesn't think Everton should have been awarded a second-half penalty against Arsenal this weekend.
Iliman Ndiaye scored from the spot in the 50th-minute to help earn the Toffees a 1-1 draw at Goodison Park, after Leandro Trossard had given Arteta's side a first-half lead.
However, Arsenal were incensed and felt Everton shouldn't have been given a penalty. Referee Darren England on the other hand thought that Myles Lewis-Skelly fouled Jack Harrison inside the area and didn't hesitate in pointing to the spot. VAR chose against intervening and stuck with the referee's on-field decision.
It's something that angered the Arsenal staff, players and Arteta, who fumed in his post-match press conference and felt that England made the wrong call.
Now, Gallagher has delivered his verdict and has agreed with Arteta, stating that England was incorrect to award Everton a penalty for Lewis-Skelly's challenge.
Speaking on Sky Sports show Ref Watch, Gallagher said: "I think that if you're going to give a foul to the forward - in this instance - more of the foul occurs outside the area. Then he lets go of him. I don't think it's a penalty.
"The player's reaction is key. But it's never going to be overturned when given on pitch."
Former Liverpool and Aston Villa left-back Stephen Warnock provided a different take, however, and he wasn't as certain as Gallagher. He said: "I'm still 50/50.
"I understand why it's given because it's clumsy. But if it's not given I understand that because there's little contact. Would that have been a foul anywhere else on the pitch? I think it would."
Sue Smith added: "I do think that it's soft. But Lewis-Skelly does fall on to him inside the area. I think that's never going to get overturned. You can see why the referee has given it. He does connect with him."
Meanwhile, TV pundit Jamie Carragher fumed at the VAR process after they failed to intervene and correct England's initial decision. He agreed with Arteta - and didn't think Everton should have been given a penalty.
"If it was a penalty it was very, very soft. I'm with Mikel Arteta, I didn't think it was a penalty," Carragher said on Sky Sports. When I first saw it I thought it was a penalty and I can understand the referee giving it - because it was a bit of a mess from Arsenal.
"I think that the centre-back [Jakub] Kiwior leaves the ball to bounce, [Myles] and Lewis-Skelly gets himself caught with Harrison and it looks like a bit of a tangle. So, I could understand the referee giving it but, then when you look at it, it looks really soft.
"In some ways, those types of decisions is exactly what is wrong with VAR where you look at it and you say; 'It's not a penalty, but it's not a howler'. So, then VAR don't get involved when it's just not a penalty.
"That's where I'd like VAR to say it's not about the referee making a horrendous decision - it's not a penalty - you make that decision and then you move on."
