Overview

• A late challenge saw James Tarkowski penalised for blocking Anton Stach’s shot with his arm, and VAR review upheld referee Chris Kavanagh’s call before Lukas Nmecha converted the spot-kick.
• David Moyes described the decision as “a really poor decision” and accused VAR of failing to overturn the on-field ruling.
• James Tarkowski insisted his arm was in a natural position by his side and expressed disbelief that the penalty stood.
• Pundits including Gary Neville defended the award, arguing Tarkowski moved his arm towards the ball and that the penalty was clear.
• The incident has renewed scrutiny of VAR’s consistency after several contentious decisions during the Premier League’s opening weekend.