Arsenal Wins 1-0 but Penalty Call Sparks Debate

Arsenal beat Hull City by one goal. Martin Odegaard scored in the 72nd minute. The ball came back to him after the Hull goalie dropped a shot from Noni Madueke. This was their fifth win in a row in the league. They have now won nine times in their first ten games. The victory moved them six points clear of Manchester City. City lost three to one to Nottingham Forest.

The match was not just about the goal. Kai Havertz went down inside the box. Hull defender Nobel Mendy pulled his shirt. Arsenal asked for a penalty. The video official reviewed the play. Referee Farai Hallam went to the screen at the side of the field. He gave Hull a free kick instead. He said Havertz was offside before the play started. Mikel Arteta was upset. He walked over to the fourth official to complain before halftime.

Dale Johnson is a refereeing expert. He works for the BBC. He studied the incident. He said the video review was questionable. He believes Arsenal deserved a penalty. Johnson explained that offside does not always mean a foul. A player is only penalized if they try to play the ball or challenge an opponent. Mendy pulling the shirt happened first. That makes the free kick to Hull look wrong. The Premier League said the video system suggested a review for a possible penalty. The referee ignored it because of the offside call.

The final score did not change. Arsenal kept the three points. The argument continued after the game. But the team still moved further ahead in the league table.