All eyes were on referee Chris Kavanagh and VAR official Jarred Gillett on Sunday when Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella was involved in a potential handball in the penalty area during the London Derby against Arsenal.
With both teams eager to claim three points, the match at the Emirates Stadium was full of intensity. The key moment came in the first 15 minutes when Jurrien Timber challenged Cucurella, who was moving toward the ball and subsequently went down.
Despite a VAR review, Chris Kavanagh opted not to award a penalty to Arsenal. The Premier League’s official Match Centre later clarified the decision, explaining that Cucurella’s arm was in a natural position and there was no clear or deliberate attempt to handle the ball.
In a tweet, the Premier League stated: “The referee’s decision of no penalty for handball by Cucurella was reviewed and upheld by VAR, as his arm was in an expected position with no clear or deliberate action towards the ball.”
Shortly after the no-penalty decision, Arsenal took the lead, with Mikel Merino scoring a header from a corner.
Another controversial moment followed soon after when Wesley Fofana made a late challenge on Declan Rice, seemingly stepping on the Arsenal midfielder. However, this incident also went unpunished by both the referee and VAR.
The result sees Arsenal move nine points clear of Chelsea in fifth place, while reducing Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to 12 points, with the league leaders focusing on their Carabao Cup final against Newcastle.
