Gabriel Martinelli: Ex-Premier League referee issues ‘nailed on’ claim as Arsenal controversy missed by VAR
Arsenal should have had a penalty in their 2-1 win over Wolves last night (24 February), according to Keith Hackett.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the ex-Fifa and Premier League referee insisted Nelson Semedo’s challenge on Gabriel Martinelli after just 20 seconds was a “nailed on” spot-kick.
The ball fell to Martinelli after a Bukayo Saka pass but he was unable to get his shot away because of Semedo’s challenge.
Martin Atkinson waved away Arsenal’s appeals for a penalty and VAR operator John Brooks did not intervene.
And Hackett suggested the relationship between the two officials is why the original decision was not overturned.
“Why did Martin Atkinson not give a penalty kick? It’s absolutely nailed on,” he said after analysing the footage with Football Insider correspondent Connor Whitley.
“It also raises another issue, we have relatively new Premier League referee John Brooks in the VAR seat, he didn’t come in. We’ve got one of the oldest guys on the list, Atkinson, and there are no doubts he’s had a great career but Brooks is thinking ‘I don’t want to come in on this’.
“It doesn’t matter that it is so early in the game. That’s why we have the warm up process.
“Maybe the VAR should run around the block a few times before the game starts!
“If he was actually in the stadium, it might be different. That interpersonal relationship is, for me, a really vulnerable area and this exposes it.
“This is where the boss of the PGMOL needs to sit down with Atkinson and Brooks and ask ‘Why did you miss this one?'”
In other news, Martinelli could be frozen out at Arsenal amid a ‘perilous’ teammate claim.