Arsenal learn new VAR verdict after Aston Villa penalty controversy

It has been revealed that Arsenal should have been awarded a penalty against Aston Villa last week. The Gunners beat the Villans 1-0 at Villa Park on matchday two. It could have been more, as both the Key Match Incident (KMI) panel and the Premier League have admitted that VAR should have given a penalty to the champions in the final minutes.Bukayo Saka had put the north Londoners ahead, and in injury time, Bruno Guimares made a marauding run into the box to put himself into a goalscoring position. He was taken out by Villa defender Ian Maatsen, but both referee Jarred Gillett and VAR James Bell came to the conclusion that it was not a foul and opted not to award a spot kick.The KMI panel provide an assessment of all major decisions in Premier League games and believe Arsenal should have been given a penalty, with Maatsen sent off for a second bookable offence.No penalty: Bruno GuimaraesGettyA statement from the panel read: “The panel felt that a penalty should have been awarded on-field for Maatsen’s reckless challenge on Guimaraes,”“Clear contact was made on the attacker’s standing leg and Maatsen made no contact with the ball.”They also felt that VAR should have intervened as the non-penalty awarded was a clear and obvious error. The panel deemed the challenge was reckless and therefore a second caution should have been awarded.Understandably, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was not happy with the decision.The Premier League said in a statement: “One of the Premier League’s football principles is to maintain a high threshold for VAR intervention.“In this instance, it was deemed that a penalty kick should have been awarded on-field following a reckless challenge, and that the threshold for VAR intervention had been met. “As a result, the VAR should have intervened to recommend an on-field review for a clear and obvious error.”