EPL: Panel rules Arsenal wrongly denied penalty against Aston Villa

The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has ruled that Arsenal should have been awarded a penalty during their match against Aston Villa.

The panel found that Arsenal midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was fouled by Aston Villa defender Ian Maatsen inside the box.

The incident happened in the eighth minute of stoppage time, with Arsenal already leading 1-0. Guimaraes had broken into the area and was preparing to shoot when Maatsen made a desperate challenge.

The KMI Panel voted unanimously, 5-0, that referee Jarred Gillett made an on-field error by failing to award the penalty.

The panel also ruled that Maatsen should have received a second yellow card and been sent off, while VAR official James Bell was criticised for failing to intervene.

“Clear contact was made on the attacker’s standing leg and Maatsen made no contact with the ball,” the KMI Panel said.

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It added that “the challenge was reckless and therefore a second caution should have been awarded,” confirming that Arsenal were wrongly denied both a penalty and a red card for Maatsen.