Tottenham Hotspur was awarded a penalty against Arsenal in the North London Derby after VAR intervened following a missed foul by referee Michael Oliver. The incident occurred when Declan Rice fouled Ben Davies inside the Arsenal penalty area, initially unnoticed by Oliver. Despite Davies being left in pain and rolling on the ground, Oliver initially waved play on.

However, after a quick VAR review, he pointed to the spot, awarding Tottenham a penalty. The decision sparked controversy, with fans and pundits shocked that Oliver missed the foul, with some suggesting Rice’s challenge was a “kick in the balls.” Gary Neville, commenting on the incident, immediately called for a penalty, highlighting the severity of the contact. Fans took to social media to express their disbelief that Oliver did not see the foul initially, questioning the reliance on VAR in such situations.

Son Heung-min converted the penalty, reducing Arsenal’s lead to 3-2 after Tottenham had trailed 3-0 at halftime. Despite mounting pressure in the second half, Arsenal held on to secure a narrow victory. The win sees Arsenal move four points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table, pending City’s result against Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal performance and stats

Arsenal

Manager: Mikel Arteta
Rank 1st
Win 27
Draw 5
Loss 5
Goals 89-28
Diff 61

Arsenal is currently 1st in the Premier League with 80 points.

In the last 35 games, it has won 25 times, drawn 5 times, and lost 5 times. In its last match, Arsenal won 2-3 against Tottenham Hotspur.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 85 goals and conceding 28.​

Arsenal will play the next match in Premier League against AFC Bournemouth on Saturday 4th of May in London.​

Tottenham Hotspur performance and stats

Tottenham Hotspur

Manager: Angelos Postecoglou
Rank 5th
Win 19
Draw 6
Loss 11
Goals 71-59
Diff 12

Tottenham Hotspur is currently 5th in the Premier League with 60 points.

In the last 33 games, it has won 18 times, drawn 6 times, and lost 9 times. In its last match, Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-3 against Arsenal.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 67 goals and conceding 52.​

Tottenham Hotspur will play the next match in Premier League against Chelsea on Thursday 2nd of May in London. The prediction is Chelsea winning the match.​

Embed from Getty Images