Ex-Premier League referee issues verdict on Nottingham Forest v Arsenal Gabriel Jesus controversy

Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has weighed in on the key decision during Arsenal’s defeat to Nottingham Forest.
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Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has had his say on the controversial moment during Arsenal’s defeat to Nottingham Forest.

The Gunners left the East Midlands empty-handed on Saturday after a 1-0 defeat, with the home side all-but wrapping up safety, while the result also officially decided the title race, with Manchester City no longer catchable. It was another disappointing performance from Arsenal, who have hit rocky form to finish the season.

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The winning goal came in the first half, with Taiwo Aiwoniyi continuing his fine form, taking advantage of some sloppy defending from Mikel Arteta’s men.

But while the Gunners failed to recover, they felt they were not given any help by referee Anthony Taylor, who waved away a penalty claim from Gabriel Jesus after he was bundled over by Joe Worrall. Jesus was left incensed by the decision, leading to Taylor actually booking the Arsenal forward.

VAR didn’t reach a different verdict to Taylor, meaning Arsenal were not given a spot kick, and former Premier League referee Gallagher believes they were unfortunate not to win a penalty.

“It’s a massive, massive risk. If Worrall gets penalised, he can’t argue,” Gallagher told Sky Sports. “If it was a penalty, it wouldn’t be a red card because he wasn’t in control of the ball. But I think it is a penalty for Arsenal and Jesus.”

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Ultimately, Arsenal were always likely to miss out on the title, whether they won, drew or lost at The City Ground, but the Gunners will want to go out with a bang, and so they will be counting this decision as one that cost them points, albeit their performance wasn’t up to the standards they have set this season.