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Howard Webb Backs VAR Overturn of Arsenal Penalty Against Newcastle

He says replays showed Nick Pope played the ball first, satisfying the clear‑and‑obvious error threshold.

Overview

  • Referee Jarred Gillett awarded a 15th‑minute spot kick for a challenge on Viktor Gyökeres before the review.
  • VAR Darren England sent Gillett to the pitchside monitor after identifying a clear touch by goalkeeper Nick Pope.
  • Following the on‑field review, the penalty was cancelled and play restarted with a dropped ball.
  • Webb described Pope’s action as a normal challenge with contact occurring after the ball had been played.
  • Mikel Arteta questioned the intervention, arguing the delay indicated it was not a clear and obvious error in a match Arsenal won 2-1.