Johnson Progress

Former Premier League referee Mark Clattenburg has asserted that Chelsea were the victims of a clear officiating error during their 2-1 loss to Arsenal on Sunday, claiming the Blues should have been awarded a penalty for a handball by Declan Rice just before halftime.

The defeat at the Emirates Stadium saw Arsenal move five points clear at the top of the table, with goals from William Saliba and Jurrien Timber either side of a Piero Hincapie own goal securing the win.

However, the match was not without its controversies, as Chelsea were reduced to ten men late on and were left questioning a pivotal first-half decision.

The incident in question occurred with the score level at 0-0.

Chelsea captain Reece James delivered a corner kick into a crowded box.

As the ball sailed towards goal, Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, while grappling with marker Jorrel Hato, appeared to make contact with the ball using his arm or elbow, forcing goalkeeper David Raya into a sharp save.

Analyzing the footage after the game, Clattenburg was adamant that referee Chris Kavanagh and the VAR officials at Stockley Park made the wrong call.

Offering his expert verdict, the former official insisted that Rice’s actions met the threshold for a spot-kick.

“Declan Rice defends a corner kick and clearly moves his arm to the ball and a penalty kick should have been awarded,” Clattenburg told United In Focus.

Drawing on his years of experience in the middle, Clattenburg criticized the lack of consistency in applying the laws of the game.

He pointed to the visible motion of the Arsenal midfielder as the definitive factor that should have prompted an intervention.

“We see each week the inconsistency with refereeing decisions and this week is no different. The ball comes from a long distance and a clear movement of the arm to the ball should always result in a penalty,” he added.

The decision to wave play on left many observers perplexed, including former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, who was on commentary duty for the broadcast.

Neville revealed the explanation provided by the VAR team for why they did not advise the on-field referee to review the incident.

Sharing the rationale with the viewing audience, Neville explained that the officials deemed Rice’s actions to be a result of the physical battle in the box.

However, the pundit openly admitted that he found the logic difficult to follow.

“They’ve said basically he [Rice] is under physical contact,” Neville revealed during the broadcast.

Offering his own interpretation of the replay, Neville suggested that Rice was the instigator of the contact rather than the victim.

He cast doubt on the official reasoning, implying that the footage told a different story.

“I’d argue he’s the one imparting physical contact. It doesn’t look great for him,” Neville said.

Following the full-time whistle, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was asked about the penalty appeal.

Choosing to focus on his team’s performance, Arteta admitted he had not yet reviewed the footage of the flashpoint.

Instead, the Spanish coach reflected on the significance of the victory, though he conceded that his side lost control of the game after Chelsea’s Pedro Neto was sent off for a second bookable offense with 20 minutes remaining.

“Big win, I’m very happy,” Arteta said in his post-match press conference.

“For big periods the team performed in an excellent way, the margin should have been bigger at half-time. The moment we conceded was painful, but the quality of Chelsea… After their red card we should have managed that situation better but we will talk about this tomorrow.”

Arteta went on to praise the resilience of the opposition, acknowledging the threat posed by the likes of Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, and Enzo Fernandez even when a man down.

“They have so much quality, even when they use the keeper they can get out of situation with 10 men. We didn’t adjust too well, sometimes you take things for granted,” he concluded.